After missing out on a medal in the men’s individual BC1 tournament, great boccia player David Smith said: “If I didn’t laugh, I would cry,” while joking with reporters. He has won the individual event at two consecutive Paralympic Games and was competing in Paris in an attempt to continue his dominance on the biggest stage.
However, a surprising defeat in the semifinals against South Korea’s Jung Sungjoon and a 5-3 loss to Paralympic debutant Muhamad Syafa from Indonesia on September 1 meant that he did not make it onto the podium in the individual event for the first time since Beijing 2008.
“I knew I would lose at some point, but it’s unfortunate that it turned out to be a semifinal I should have won,” said the British star, who competed with his trademark blue and red hair from Tokyo 2020.
“Another day, I would have achieved that victory (in the semifinal) comfortably.”
“It’s just that the boccia gods played a big trick on me, and it just didn’t work out.”
Boccia Gods
The first boccia medals of Paris 2024 were awarded on September 1. Smith says he wasn’t thinking much about medals in his fifth Paralympic Games, believing that results would follow if he played his best.
He also didn’t feel the pressure as the title defender because “I had already done that” in his impressive career. But he says that the level of the sport has grown significantly in recent years.
“It’s very different. Maybe when I won gold in Rio, there were maybe one or two (medal contenders), and then obviously in Tokyo there were a few more. But still, it was maybe just me and a couple others.”
“But this time I didn’t come in being dominant. I entered knowing I had to hold onto being number one in the world for a long, long time, and I’ve been holding onto it by my fingernails, knowing there were people on my heels waiting to take it from me.”
The Peak of His Game
At Arena Paris Sud 1, Smith won all three of his preliminary round matches in the last three days. But he said he reached the “peak of his game” early in the tournament.
“I knew myself that I can’t do much more than that. It’s just the way it is when you are playing at the highest level, and you know you have three matches ahead and you’ve already reached your best level, when you had to reach your peak to beat someone and come out of the group on the right side,” he said. “I gave myself the best chance possible, but I ran out of fuel.”
In the semifinal, Smith gave up the three-point lead he had after the first period, allowing the South Korean athlete to achieve a 4-3 victory. Later in the day, he also surrendered the lead against Indonesian Syafa.
“The floor (of the Arena) didn’t help, so I’ve been struggling and trying to find ways to overcome it. It simply doesn’t suit my playing style,” Smith said.
“I’ve won medals in every tournament I’ve participated in over the last three years, which I think is an achievement, considering the level that can be seen now. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be this time.”
One More Event
Smith still has one more event ahead in Paris before returning home. He will compete in the mixed team BC1/BC2 event with Claire Taggart from September 3 to 5.
“I think we have a good team, and I think we have good chances, just like all the other teams,” he said.
“But who knows? I don’t know. I’m not going to predict more about the team because my predictions have been a disaster.”
Medal Matches in Paris
In other medal matches, Portugal’s Cristina Gonçalves won the first women’s individual BC2 event after defeating South Korea’s Jeong Soyeong 4-1. Japan’s Hiromi Ando took home bronze in her Paralympic debut.
For the first time in the Paralympic Games, men and women compete separately in the individual competition in Paris.
Thailand’s Worawut Saengampa won gold in the men’s tournament, while Indonesia’s Muhammad Bintang Herlangga secured silver. Thailand’s four-time Paralympic gold medalist Watcharaphon Vongsa took home the bronze medal.