Four Canadian boccia athletes nominated to Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team

Four boccia players have been nominated to compete for Canada at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and Boccia Canada announced on Thursday.

Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team – BOCCIA

Danik Allard – Bois-des-Filion, QC – BC2 (classification)
Iulian Ciobanu – Montreal, QC – BC4
Lance Cryderman – Val Caron, ON – BC1
Alison Levine – Montreal, QC – BC4

All four athletes are Paralympians. Levine and Ciobanu will be heading to their third Games, following Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Allard made his debut at the Tokyo Games three years ago, while Cryderman is making a return to Paralympic competition for the first time since Sydney 2000.

Levine was Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearer at the Santiago 2023 Parapan Am Games last November following two gold medals, in the women’s BC4 individuals and BC4 pairs alongside Ciobanu. Currently the No. 2-ranked player in the world in her category, she most recently captured bronze at her final tune-up before Paris, the Povoa World Boccia Cup in Portugal.

“I’m very excited, happy, and proud,” said Levine. “As always, my way of being is to have fun and that’s the most important. And that’s how my results will come – try not to think too much, tell my brain to be quiet, and just enjoy. I’m also very happy to have Danik and Lance joining us in Paris as well. There’s a lot of attention on Iulian and me so it’s great to have doubled our team.”

Alongside his gold medal with Levine, Ciobanu also notched a bronze in the men’s BC4 individual tournament at Santiago 2023. He is currently world No. 8 in the men’s BC4 classification.

“We’ve been working hard, day after day, week by week, month after month, every competition to get where we are today,” said Ciobanu. “To say ‘we qualified’ is an understatement and does not take into account the time, effort and work that goes behind the results. Substantial work has been done on my side in the past three years post Tokyo. In fact, we not only qualified but exceeded the expectations and objectives of the qualification process, which Alison and I are extremely proud of.”

“It’s also important for me to go to these Paralympics because it inspires other people to pursue the same objectives and for me to be a role model for the younger generations,” Ciobanu added. “It’s not only good for sport, but society as well – supporting people of all abilities in their autonomy, skills, rights, access, and values to sport and quality of life.”

Bronze medallists at the 2022 world championships together, Levine and Ciobanu secured their Paralympic qualification with their Parapan Am gold-medal victory. They are the No. 3-ranked BC4 pair in the world and just this week secured a gold medal at the Povoa World Boccia Cup.

Allard, ranked No. 12 in the men’s BC2 classification, made the round of 16 in the individual competition at the 2022 world championships, an improvement on his Tokyo 2020 result.

“I’m very honoured to have qualified for a second Paralympic Games,” said Allard. “It’s a great opportunity that I will take full advantage of, and my goal is to demonstrate my evolution while I’m there. Now that COVID is behind us, I can live the true experience of the Games and one that I’m really excited for!”

A Sydney 2000 Paralympian in boccia, Cryderman retired from competitive sport for more than 15 years before returning in 2017. He cracked the 2022 world championships roster, where he made the round of 16 in men’s BC1 action. Last year, he won the silver medal at the Parapan Am Games. The men’s BC1 world No. 11 will be joined on court by competition partner Nick Dunham.

“It is a tremendous honour to have the privilege to represent my country once again at the Paralympic Games and this is not a privilege that I take lightly,” said Cryderman. “I can confidently say I would not be attending my second Paralympic Games if it wasn’t for the tremendous support of so many people, especially my performance partner Nick Dunham and practice partner Ryann Dutchburn. Even though there are only a few short weeks before we are in Paris, I have been working hard with Nick and Ryann to compete at the highest level possible and make my country proud.”

Allard and Cryderman received their spots for Paris through a bipartite allocation from World Boccia.

Boccia will take place at South Paris Arena. All four athletes will compete in their respective individual tournaments, taking place August 29 to September 2. Ciobanu and Levine will also contend in the BC4 pairs event, running September 3 to 5.

“Congratulations to Danik, Iulian, Lance, and Alison on your nomination to the Paralympic Games,” said Josh Vander Vies, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. “As a boccia Paralympian myself, I know the intricacies of the sport and how skilled and dedicated these four athletes are. From Alison and Iulian’s incredible success, Danik’s rise in the sport, and Lance’s remarkable comeback, this team is definitely one to watch in Paris. I look forward to cheering each of them on at the Games.”

“A very warm welcome to Danik, Iulian, Lance, and Alison to the Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team!” said Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. “I have learned so much about boccia from my co-chef Josh, and it is such an exciting sport, unique to the Paralympic Games. This team features some of the very best in the world, who have played so well this year, and I encourage all of Canada to get behind these athletes.”

Prior to being officially named to the Canadian Paralympic Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The current list of nominated athletes can be found HERE. The approved final roster will be announced closer to the start of the Games. Canada is expecting to send a team of approximately 130 athletes.

hrough September 8. Audiences can tune in for CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8 on CBC, CBC Gem, CBC’s Paris 2024 website (cbc.ca/paris2024) and the CBC Paris 2024 app in English and on ICI TÉLÉ, ICI TOU.TV, Radio-Canada.ca/paris2024, and on the Radio-Canada Paralympiques app in French.