Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023.- In addition to the gold medals achieved by Andreza de Oliveira and Maziel De Souza in the morning, the Brazilian boccia team added two more, thanks to Matheus Carvalho and Evelyn Vieira de Oliveira, who both edged out their Argentinian counterparts by identical 5-4 scores in the BC3 category.

Matheus Carvalho, a former Olympic gold medalist at London 2012 and bronze medalist at Tokyo 2020, faced Rodrigo Romero in the first match. In a tightly contested duel, the Argentinian almost pulled off a surprise as he led 4-2. However, with an epic comeback, the champion at Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019 asserted his favoritism and clinched the final 5-4.

Reflecting on his victory, Carvalho stated, "It's a result I came to seek, and I achieved the goal. We started the week well; I faced difficulties during the week, but I managed to win the gold."

Following Matheus, the joy continued with Evelyn Vieira de Oliveira's victory over Stefanía Ferrando, also by a 5-4 margin.

"This is my second Pan American gold; it was a tremendous championship. I strengthened myself during the week, and I am very happy for my participation and that of my teammates. Now, we are going for the team event," announced Evelyn.

Athletes in the BC3 class have significant limitations in the function of their arms and legs and minimal or no control of the trunk. They cannot grip or release the ball firmly and cannot consistently push the ball within the playing field. They are allowed to use a ramp with the assistance of a sports assistant.

With these hard-fought golds, Brazil concludes a tremendous day in boccia at Santiago 2023, securing tickets to Paris 2024.

Written by José Tomás Lambert - Rodrigo Parragué; translated by Rocio Rojas / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Photo by Paula Letelier / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport