David Smith OBE

David is Britain’s most successful boccia player of all time having won five medals from across four Paralympics

Category: BC1

Date of Birth: 02/03/89

Coach: Glynn Tromans

From: Eastleigh. Now lives in Swansea

He made his first Paralympic appearance in 2008 when he helped secure the gold medal for the BC1-2 team. Four years later, at London 2012, he helped the team return to the podium for bronze and, individually, he took the silver medal.

In Rio in 2016, David seized the individual gold medal and, in 2018, confirmed his status as no.1 player at the World Championships in Liverpool. In 2019, he secured the triple crown, winning the European Championships. He went on to defend his title in Tokyo and was British flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony.

He continued his dominance on the BC1 category, triumphing at the European Championships in 2021. At the 2022 World Championships in Rio, Smith was unable to defend his World title and lost to formidable opponent Witsanu Huadpradit of Thailand.

But Smith cemented his place at the top of his classification with follow-up World Cup wins. In 2023, at the first ever European Para Championships, David won silver individually and another silver as part of the BC1/2 Team.

He has been named in the ParalympicsGB squad for Paris 2024 and will compete individually and in the Team event.

David - who runs a community boccia club in his hometown of Swansea - was awarded an OBE for services to the sport of Boccia in the 2022 New Year Honours. He is also a regular volunteer at his local Swansea parkrun.

Meet the rest of the Great Britain boccia squad…