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Dan Michel and assistant Ash McClure are through to the Quarter Finals of the Tokyo Paralympic Games Boccia tournament despite a loss in his final preliminary game.
It was also a disappointing night for fellow Aussies Spencer Cotie and assistant Zoe Dix who dropped their match against Great Britain’s Scott McCowan, which will rule them out of the quarter finals.
Michel and McClure took the first two ends 1-0 each, but Brazilian Evelyn De Oliviera stormed back in the third end with a 2 point win and taking the final end 1-0 to close out the match 3-2.
Coach Ken Halliday said the nature of sport is that some games don’t always go your way, especially against a good opposition.
“A few crucial balls just didn’t go right and I mean she’s a really good player and is playing really well. She hardly missed a shot, which makes it really difficult and in it those tight games, it’s a matter of millimetres.”
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Unfortunately for Cotie and Dix, they came up against a red hot Scott McCowan who took the first end 3-0 in a huge start. While Cotie did well to fight back to take second end 2-0, but the final two ends went for one a piece with McCowan getting the win 4-3.
While Halliday and Cotie had discussed their game plan they just didn’t quite execute their strategy.
“We had the game plan down pat and we knew exactly how Scott was going to play, and we had a plan and Spencer’s been practicing that and it’s been going really well. Unfortunately at the first end he made, one or two unfortunate decisions I guess.”
He believes the experience of his first Paralympic Games will only help Cotie become a better player.
“He’ll improve greatly, just with the experience playing the best players in the world. I mean he’s beaten one of the best players in Jamie McCowan who is ranked number five in the world, he beat him yesterday and you know, will learn from that experience.”
Michel and McClure will compete in the quarterfinals on Tuesday 31st August after finishing top two in his pool with a strong points differential. He comes up against Korea’s Hansoo Kim, who topped his pool group.
“He’s a very good player but Dan’s quite able to meet him. He (Kim) hasn’t played internationally for a while but we’ve already talked about a game plan for that tomorrow and hopefully we’ll go well against him,” said Halliday.
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Quarter Finals – Tuesday 31 August
Dan Michel (AUS) v Hansoo Kim (KOR): 11.55am JPT / 12.55pm AEST, Ariake Gymnasium
By: Paralympics Australia
Posted: 30 August 2021
