Smith seeks to regain boccia 'Triple Crown'

British boccia player David Smith is aiming to reclaim the Triple Crown in the sport by competing in the World Championships in Seoul, South Korea. The 37-year-old, who is currently the European champion, first held the Triple Crown in 2018 and held it for four years before taking silver at the 2022 World Championships. Smith has won five medals at four Paralympic Games and is seeking to regain the world title, 20 years after his championship debut.

He admits that he now faces much stiffer competition, with six people at the top of the rankings. Smith says that to achieve his goals, he will have to play "out of his skin" and will look to win the World Championships and the Paralympics in LA. He acknowledges that the increased depth of talent in the BC1 category makes momentum harder to come by, as quarter-finals are now played against top players who can win on their day.

Smith also mentions that recent format changes have made the competition more intense, with fewer games before knockout rounds. Despite the challenges, Smith is excited for the challenge in Seoul and hopes to qualify for the quarter-finals, which would be a significant achievement for his ranking.