Gold and silver in Fortaleza

It was another World Cup gold in the collection for boccia star Claire Taggart last week when she triumphed in Fortaleza, Brazil.

It is the second World Cup gold of her career and provides the player from Northern Ireland – who became World Champion last December - with all-important ranking points now that we’ve passed the Year to Go mark to the Paris Paralympic Games.

Claire Taggart seizes gold in fortaleza.

She remained unbeaten in her matches and in the final, came up against Indonesia’s Gischa Zayana. It was a case of déjà vu for Taggart as she come up against the 18-year-old talent in her first pool match.

Posting on Instagram after that match, Taggart explained:

“Gischa is a young new talent who has a VERY bright future in boccia. She put me under pressure from the start i8ncluding winning the first end, but I was able to put the nerves to the side and win the game 4-3. She ‘s already a fierce competitor in BC2F and, at the age of only 18, she has so much potential.”

Despite clocking up the first win over the Indonesian, Taggart still remained under pressure:

“The nerves of a final are completely different and I knew I was going to have to play well to win again. Gischa pushed me hard to execute shots and take risks but in the fourth end, my jack ball won me the game.”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s Patrick Wilson made a solid return to winning ways, seizing the silver in the BC3 individuals with ramp assistant Meredith Greenwood. His last appearance on a World Cup podium was in 2019 and Boccia UK is thrilled to see him back where he belongs:

“I’m really delighted and proud to have got silver here in Fortaleza. I’ve worked really hard in the past 18 months to get back to a level where I can achieve these kinds of results and it’s great to see that come to fruition,” said Wilson.

“The exciting thing is I feel I can play much better than I have here so hopefully the best is yet to come.”

fortaleza saw a return to winning ways for patrick wilson in the BC3s

Wilson was denied the gold medal by Hong Kong’s Howon Jeong – multiple Paralympic and World Champion and current world number one.

A relatively small contingent from Great Britain featured in Brazil with other notable highlights including Louis Saunders from Bognor Regis  beating Columbia’s Euclides Grisales - the world number one - to claim his spot in the BC4 men’s semi-final.

In the BC3s, Will Arnott and Sally Kidson were both in action individually and as a pair. It was certainly a tough couple of days for the newly established duo but Fortaleza will no doubt lay essential foundations for future success.