Alison Levine Eliminated in Paralympic Boccia Quarterfinals

Alison Levine of Canada was eliminated from the women’s Paralympic boccia BC4 competition following a dramatic quarterfinal match against Colombia‘s Leidy Chica Chica on Saturday.

Levine, who holds the world’s No. 2 ranking, maintained a slim 2-0 lead against the world’s No. 1 Chica midway through the contest. However, Chica scored two points in the third end, leveling the match at 2-2.

The rivals remained tied throughout the fourth and final end, until Chica made the decisive throw with her last ball, earning one point to secure a 3-2 victory.

Levine expressed her disappointment after the match, stating, “Unfortunately, it was a gold medal match in the quarter finals.” During the earlier pool play, Levine recorded two wins and one loss, whereas Chica finished undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record.

Following her loss, Chica was eventually upset in the semi-finals by Lin Ximei of China. Levine was the last hope for Canadian medals in boccia, as her compatriots Danik Allard, Iulian Ciobanu, and Lance Cryderman did not advance past the preliminary rounds.

On Tuesday morning, Levine will return to competition, this time partnered with Ciobanu in the BC4 mixed pairs event. The duo, ranked No. 3 in the world, previously won a bronze medal at the 2022 world championships.

In 2023, Ciobanu and Levine achieved victory in the Parapan Am gold medal match against Chica, who competed alongside her brother, Edilson Chica. The Canadian pair also clinched gold at the 2024 Povoa World Boccia Cup in July.

Levine remains optimistic ahead of their Pool B preliminary round match against the Chinese team of Lin Ximei and Zheng Yuansen, stating, “We’re both fired up. We’re both hungry. We’re just going to give it our all.”