Paris 2024: Best boccia moments
Gender-specific medal events in individual competition were introduced at the Paralympics for the first time Fifteen countries represented on the podium Aurelie Aubert won France’s first boccia medal, a gold in the women’s individual BC1 24 Sep 2024
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games were packed with memorable moments, including athletic feats and historic firsts, that took place at stunning venues in front of a vocal crowd.
We will share three moments from each sport that made the Games very special.
Top moment
Gender-specific individual medal events were introduced at the Paralympic Games for the first time. Portugal’s Cristina Goncalves became the inaugural Paralympic champion in the women’s individual BC2 event, with Thailand’s Worawut Saengampa winning the men’s title.
Home favourite Aurelie Aubert captured the women’s BC1 gold, with Hong Kong’s John Loung topping the podium in the men’s event. China’s Lin Ximei and Great Britain’s Stephen McGuire won the women’s and men’s gold, respectively, in the BC4 category, before Hong Kong’s Yuen Kei Ho and the Republic of Korea’s Jeong Howon won the BC3 gold medals.
The historic nature of her victory was recognised by Ho, who won the women’s individual BC3 title. “Separate individual medal events offer a more gender-equal footing to us women,” she said.
Biggest surprise
The level of competition showed tremendous growth since Tokyo 2020, with 15 countries represented on the podium. This also meant that some of the favourites left Paris without a medal.
Three-time Paralympic champion David Smith finished outside of the podium for the first time since making his Paralympic debut in 2008.
“It’s so different.," he said of the level of competition in Paris. "Maybe when I won gold in Rio, where there were maybe one or two (medal contenders), and then obviously in Tokyo, there were a few more. But it was still maybe me and a couple of others.”
“But this time around, I came in not dominant. I came in knowing that I had to hold on to the world number one for a long, long time, and I’ve been clinging onto it with my fingernails, knowing that there are people either side of me waiting to take it.”
Home hero
Aurelie Aubert stormed to the gold medal in the women’s individual BC1, winning France’s first Paralympic boccia medal.
Aubert had an excited Parisian crowd behind her as she beat Singapore’s Yee Ting Jeralyn Tan in the final and said: “This gold medal is a very big milestone for boccia in France.
“The cheers and roars from the crowd were a big advantage for me as a French player and I thank them for their support.”
Aubert was one of France’s flagbearers at the Closing Ceremony on 8 September and blew out the Paralympic flame.
