Republic of Korea athlete Howon Jeong seized the final boccia gold medal on offer to complete a memorable and inspiring series of individual events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
As attention now turns to the pairs and team events, it is worth noting the trends and milestones of a significant tournament for individual competitors across the 35 nations.
Of the 24 medals on offer across the eight medal events, 14 countries were represented on the podium – a global spread the reflects the rising standards in the sport across the world.
It was fitting that Jeong won gold in the men’s individual BC3 event, as the Republic of Korea now tops the historic medal table across the 40 years of the sport at the Paralympic Games.
Jeong’s victory made it 10 gold medals for his nation, two ahead of Portugal, although the Portuguese have won more overall medals (26) in the 40-year span, more than any other country.
In Paris, Hong Kong China lead the way with two gold medals in the individual events – the only nation to win two golds.
They were earned by John Loung in the men’s individual BC1 and his compatriot Yuen Kei Ho in the women’s individual BC3.
With separate men’s and women’s events in the individual tournaments for the first time at a Paralympics, the historic nature of her victory was recognised by Ho who said: “Separate individual medal events offer a more gender-equal footing to us women.
“In other classifications, men are at times, more muscular and stronger, so mixing both genders in competition benefits men.”
Loung’s triumph was a victory for longevity and perseverance as he stressed when he revealed: “I first competed at the Paralympic Games in 2004. Twenty years on, I was finally on the podium today.”
Ho beat Leeson Jamieson in the final, who became the first Australian woman to win a boccia medal at a Paralympic Games.
Jamieson said: “It’s very cool to be able to say that, but for me it’s more about the progression of the sport.”
In fact, wherever boccia fans looked as they created a noisy and vibrant atmosphere at the South Paris Arena, there were firsts – new ground being broken.
Host nation France won its first Paralympic boccia medal when Aurelie Aubert stormed to the gold medal in the women’s individual BC1.
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.”
The ground-breaking theme was evident on day one of competition when Hanaa Elfar became the first boccia athlete from an African nation to win a match at the Paralympic Games.
Elfar, from Egypt, beat Ukraine’s Nataliia Konenko, 8-1, in the women’s individual BC4 preliminary round.
Elfar went out after losing her two other preliminary round matches, but the significance of a first victory for her continent should not be underestimated and she will fight again in the mixed pairs competition alongside compatriot Mahmoud Allam.
Other finals proved it was not just Loung who found reward for dedication to the sport. Cristina Goncalves of Portugal won her first individual Paralympic medal in the women’s BC2 after beating the Republic of Korea’s Soyeong Jeong in the final.
Goncalves won team gold for Portugal back in 2004, while Great Britain’s Stephen McGuire was also celebrating after “lots of hard work and lots of soul-searching”.
The Scotsman won gold in the men’s BC4 – his first medal at his fourth Paralympics – and it followed a recent period of 18 months out of the sport, whilst he was injured.
“My whole game is about tactics,” said McGuire. “I’ve not got the best power so I have to compensate a little bit with strategy and that’s what I love about boccia.”
Worawut Saengampa won gold for Thailand in the men’s BC2 – an upgrade from his silver eight years ago.
Howon Jeong’s gold in the men’s BC3 added to his gold in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago, while there was also an historic first gold for China in boccia at the Paralympic Games, thanks to Ximei Lin.
She won women’s BC4 event, beating Yuen Cheung of Hong Kong, China.
Lin’s progress mirrors that of her sport. She finished 12th in Rio and 13th in Tokyo.
As former BC1 Paralympic champion David Smith of Great Britain said: “The depth in the sport now is so different to the last two Games.
“There are new contenders from new countries everywhere you look.”
