BISFed reveal new 2014 boccia world rankings

With seven months to go until the 2014 BISFed Boccia World Championships, take a look at the athletes to beat. 10 Feb 2014

Boccia - Dirceu Jose Pinto and Eliseu Dos Santos

Brazil's Dirceu Jose Pinto and Eliseu Dos Santos celebrate winning gold in mixed pairs boccia at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

ⒸGetty

By Daniel Hopkins | For the IPC

In the BC1 classification, Great Britain’s European champion David Smith moved up a spot to No. 1, swapping places with Thailand’s reigning Paralympic champion Pattaya Tadtong.

The new 2014 BISFed Boccia World Rankings have put athletes from Brazil, China, Great Britain and South Korea on top to start off the year.

The complete world rankings across all classes can be found here.

After an impressive 2013 season of regional boccia competitions, the BISFed has announced that three new names atop the world rankings to start of a season that will culminate with September’s World Championships in Beijing, China.

In the BC1 classification, Great Britain’s European champion David Smith moved up a spot to No. 1, swapping places with Thailand’s reigning Paralympic champion Pattaya Tadtong.

Tadtong’s fellow countryman, Witsanu Huadpradit, has stormed up the table to seventh to third after his gold-medal victory at the 2013 Asia Oceania Boccia Championships in Sydney, Australia.

Reigning BC2 Paralympic champion Maciel Santos of Brazil claimed the top spot after his win at the 2013 Americas Boccia Championship in the USA. Portugal’s Abilio Valente sits in second place after his dominating performances at the 2013 European Championships in Guimaraes, Portugal, and he is followed by South Korea’s So Yeong Jeong in third.

South Korea’s Ho Won Jeong remains in top place in the BC3 classification, whereas Portugal’s European champion Jose Macedo has fought his way up the table from fifth to second. Another South Korea, Han Soo Kim, who claimed a silver medal in Sydney last year, dropped down a place to third.

The highly competitive BC4 class is topped by China’s Zheng Yuansen, with Canada’s Marco Dispralto soaring up the rankings from seventh to second, and Wai Yan Lau of Hong Kong occupying third place.

In the team rankings, Thailand, Great Britain and South Korea make up the top three in the BC1/2 team classification, whereas the BC3 pair rankings are topped by Greece, with Portugal and Belgium claiming second and third, respectively.

In the BC4 pairs table, Brazil remain in first spot, with Czech Republic in second. Great Britain moved up a spot to third after their impressive gold medal display at the 2013 European Championships in Guimaraes.