By Nick Butler

Maciel Santos replicated the form he showed in winning gold at London 2012 ©Getty ImagesLondon 2012 Paralympic champion Maciel Santos was in fine form at the BisFed World Open boccia competition in Montreal as he edged Slovakian rival Robert Mezik to win a tense final in the BC2 category. 


Mezik, who lost in the second round at London 2012 to the eventual silver medal winner behind Santos, Yan Zhiqiang of China, battled hard in the final match but ultimately slipped to a 5-3 defeat. 

Argentina's Sebastian Gonzalez picked up the bronze medal thanks to a golden point win in a equally tense bronze medal match against Russia's Roman Mukhin.

Results were far more comprehensive in the BC1 event, where Daniel Perez of the Netherlands overpowered Russia's Mikhail Gutnik with a 14-0 victory to claim the gold, while Britain's world number one David Smith had to be content with a bronze medal after beating Canada's Hanif Mawji, 11-1.

There was something to celebrate for the home crowd in the BC4 event, where Marco Dispaltro's earned gold in his hometown defeating Brazil's two-time Paralympic champion Dirceu Pinto in another tense battle decided only by a golden point.

The win was especially significant for Dispaltro as it moved him up to number one in the latest world rankings, while Brazilian disappointment was reduced somewhat by the fact that Maciel Dos Santos took bronze. 

London 2012 mixed pairs champion Marco Dispaltro (left) provided a boost for the home fans in Montreal ©Getty ImagesLondon 2012 mixed pairs champion Marco Dispaltro (left) provided a boost for the home fans in Montreal ©Getty Images




There was victory for Argentina In the BC3 class when Maria Belen Ruiz got the better of Belgium's Pieter Cilissen, 5-3. while Maxim Vasilev illustrated Russia's recent improvement in the sport by taking a surprise bronze.

Less surprisingly, Brazil led the way in the team events, beating the Netherlands 8-3 to win the BC1/BC2 event, before edging Slovakia by a narrower 4-3 margin to take BC4 pairs gold. 

But a Brazilian hatrick was prevented by Singapore, the only Asian nation present in Montreal, when they beat Brazil 5-2 to emerge victorious in the BC3 category.

The four day event, which began on Thursday (May 1) consisted of 76 of the world's best players and marked the first event on an international calendar set to culminate with the BISFed World Championships in Beijing from September 19 until 28.

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