Comments from Paralympics GB boccia players following the day’s first session.
Stephen McGuire
Result: won 7-1 in men’s BC4 singles second group game against Ukraine’s Artem Kolinko
Age: 40
Hometown: Hamilton
“I started the match well and then progressed on. It was about getting good angles and getting in position quickly. Artem is a pairs European champion so he’s a tough opponent with a good win in his first game. So in terms of the structure of the group it was important to get that win so I’m very happy.
“The dream is to get a medal for Paralympics GB. I’m just going to keep going through the rounds and see where that takes me. There’s less nerves this time out and I think that comes down to experience. I need to stay calm and take on the shots in front of me and fingers crossed I will progress through the rounds.
“Boccia can be quite a funny sport - you can have a good day and then a bad day so it’s about staying as consistent as possible. Two wins out of two, I’ve got one group game left so fingers crossed. If I win that one I’m through and I top the group so that’s my goal.”
Kayleigh Haggo
Result: won 6-2 in women’s BC2 singles second match against Portugal’s Ana Correia in her second match – qualifying for the quarter-finals depends on Correia’s match against South Korea’s Jeong Soyeong who beat Haggo 3-1 yesterday
Age: 25
Hometown: Ayr
“I feel amazing. To get the first win, I can’t believe it, I’m so happy. I played really well yesterday so I was quite confident going into this game that if I played that well again I’d get the win. I did just that. I’m really happy I’ve used what I’ve learned over the last six months - I’ve played Ana three times in the last six months and won all three despite her being ranked higher than me. So it gives me a lot of confidence going forward.
“I played fantastic yesterday, I was really happy with that performance. I didn’t play as well today but I got the win and that’s all that matters. Once I knew I’d won the game it was crucial to try and get some more points on the board as that’s really important for qualification to the quarter-finals. It’s a long wait to find out if I’m in or not.
“It would be amazing to qualify for the quarter-finals. I came here with no expectations and no pressure so to get into the quarter-finals would be amazing.”
Sally Kidson
Result: lost 6-1 in women’s BC3 singles second group game against New Zealand’s Jamieson Leeson
Age: 19
Hometown: Salisbury
On the match:
“I started strong which is what you always want but then unfortunately couldn’t carry it through the whole game. The second end was also quite strong but bottom line is she was better. The third end, I don’t often miss like that but to completely ruin my chances with my first ball was not an ideal start and not really what you want at that point in the game. I never really came back from it. And then just to giveaway the last point seals the gift to myself. But its alright, we go again tomorrow.”
On the rest of the competition:
“I’m going to have to do some maths but I’m pretty sure because of the result on the other court if I beat the leader of the group who I play tomorrow, I could be through but the bottom line is if I lose, I don’t go through so try not to lose.
“My goal coming into this is to play well. Today I didn’t play very well, yesterday I did so try and do that.”
On the British fans:
“It’s really nice. A lot of them are from England so I know the faces. One of them I went to school with for several years, she’s on our squad so she came out to watch, that’s nice. For me it is a change from yesterday. Yesterday when I looked up, I saw a blank wall and I don’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing to look up and see faces, especially when they’re not going your way. Its new and its interesting but it’s nice there was a crowd.”
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