Claire Taggart held herself responsible for the cruel tie-break defeat to Indonesia that saw ParalympicsGB fall at the quarter-final stages of the Boccia mixed team competition at Paris 2024. 

Playing alongside Kayleigh Haggo and David Smith, the trio twice fought back in the match but were forced into a tiebreak by their opponents. 

Indonesia triumphed in the tie-break after the 29-year-old had missed the chance to close the game out in regulation. 

Boccia is a sport comparable to boules and is one of only two sports in the Paralympics to not have an Olympic equivalent. 

“We really struggled to get started and one of the things we have been working on is comebacks,” said Taggart, who is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games. 

“We were 4-0 down after two ends and to get in a position where we could actually get in front, which was all thanks to David’s amazing jack position that we use as a Plan B and going long. 

“It is something that we have been advised that we wouldn’t very good at, but I think that we have proved wrong. 

“We had the opportunity to score the points that way and it is where we did score most of our points. 

“I think that we had the opportunity to win the game in the last end and it was kind of on me to seal the game, finish the game off and I didn’t do that. 

“I’m beyond gutted and I have let these guys down so badly, they are shaking their heads but they know that I am really disappointed in myself and that I have let them down.” 

Taggart and Smith were both up against the players who beat them in their individual bronze medal matches but were unable to enact revenge. 

Indonesia quickly built a sizeable lead as they scored two points in the first two ends before GB came straight back into it, closing the gap to just one at the halfway stage. 

A single point for Indonesia gave them a cushion but in the penultimate end, ParalympicsGB scored four points, including one penalty point, to take the lead for the first time. 

The mixed team were in a strong position with just one ball of the sixth end remaining before Indonesia played a brillaint shot to level things up and force a tiebreak. 

There they triumphed 2-0 to move into the semi-finals and guarantee themselves a shot at a medal while Taggart and her team were left heartbroken. 

She added: “For five ends, we absolutely left it all on the court, we battled back, we fought so hard to get back there.  

“It’s just that sixth end and my mistake and my lack of commitment to one shot which probably cost us the game, and you can use that as your tagline.” 

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