Ten off to Zagreb
/A ten-strong Boccia UK team will head to the Zagreb Challenger next week. It is the first tournament of 2023 and the British boccia stars are riding high following a hugely successful World Championships last December.
Claire Taggart’s BC2 World Championship title in Rio has sent her to the number one position in the world rankings and she will certainly be the one to beat in Croatia. But she is taking it all in her stride:
CLAIRE TAGGART READY FOR ZAGREB CHALLENGER
“Boccia is a little different to other sports,” explains Taggart. “One wrong shot or decision can completely shift the game from winning to losing. There are no easy medals and, with the Paralympics just around the corner, it’s important to treat each competition as an opportunity to competE against the best in the world, both individually and within the BC1/2 Team.
Likewise, David Smith, still reigning in the men’s BC1 world number one spot, will, as ever, have a target on his back when the individual competition kicks off on 27 March. He was unable to defend his world title in December, returning home with silver, but is keen to start the season:
“With the Montreal World Cup next month and the European Champs in August, Zagreb gives me the opportunity to build some momentum for the season ahead. I’m in good form and am looking forward to getting out there again. Obviously, losing my world title in Rio was disappointing so I’m looking forward to returning to winning ways hopefully.”
tHE bc1/2 tEAM AIMING TO BUI8LD ON MOMENTUM FROM WORLDS
The British BC1/2 Team – made up of Taggart, Smith and Will Hipwell – claimed a third medal for GB at the World Championships, winning silver in Rio and they will also be looking for a solid performance, earning further ranking points to qualify for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
New kid on the block Sally Kidson from Salisbury has also earned selection for Zagreb. Having recently stepped onto the World Class Programme, supported by UK Sport and The National Lottery, the 18-year-old will be aiming to gain further international experience. Last August, she made her first appearance for Boccia UK at the Poznan Challenger in style, finishing in fourth place.
SALLY KIDSON HAS ALSO BEEN SELECTED FOR ZAGREB
The full selected squad is:
· David Smith (assisted by Sarah Nolan)
· Claire Taggart (assisted by Stevie Taggart)
· Will Hipwell (assisted by Alice Hipwell)
· Louis Saunders (assisted by Steve Richards)
· Patrick Wilson (assisted by Meredith Greenwood)
· Will Arnott (assisted by Connor Wellfare)
· Robyn McBride (assisted by Davy McBride)
· Sally Kidson (assisted by Sarah Kidson)
· Stephen McGuire (assisted by Michaela Rihackova)
· Fiona Muirhead (assisted by Carol Rowe)
Performance Director Greg Baker said:
“This is the first competition of the year and we’re looking forward to building on the momentum the squad created at the World Championships last year. Given this is the start of a qualification year towards Paris, we wanted to enter the first possible competition with a full squad as possible, to hit the ground running and prepare towards the Montreal World Cup in April.
“We have had a really good first three months of training and preparation and all the athletes and staff are looking forward to getting back into the competition environment.”
