From historic Boccia silver to an incredible judo debut, UNSW's Jamieson Leeson and Taylor Gosens have etched their names in the Paralympic spotlight at Paris 2024.
Our UNSW Olympic success was not over yet with the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games concluding last week, two UNSW members, student and boccia superstar Jamieson Leeson (Bachelor of Economics) and UNSW Judo club member Taylor Gosens, making their mark on the global stage.
Jamieson Leeson achieved remarkable success in Boccia, competing in the women's BC3 category, securing Australia’s first ever silver medal in Boccia. Her teammate Daniel Michel also securing silver in his individual event making an even more historic milestone for Australian boccia, as it marked the first time the country has won two individual medals in the sport at the same Paralympic Games. It also represented Australia’s best result ever in boccia, surpassing their previous haul of two bronze medals in 1996 and 2020.
In the individual BC3 final, Leeson faced Hong Kong's Kei Ho Yuen. The match was intensely competitive, with Yuen taking an early lead of 4-0 after the first two ends. Leeson, however, fought valiantly, winning the next two ends 1-0 each. Despite her efforts, she was unable to close the gap fully, resulting in a final score of 4-2 in favor of Yuen. While Leeson was disappointed not to win gold, she was thrilled to earn her first Paralympic medal and was focused on the broader impact of her performance.
“It’s cool for me to be able to say that I’ve made history,” Leeson telling SportAccess Foundation. “But I think for me it’s more about the progression of the sport and to see how Dan and I as a team – and other fellow boccia athletes who have been on the high-performance program with us over the last few years – it really just shows that Australia can do it. Bring on Brisbane 2032.”
Following their individual successes, Leeson and Michel competed in the BC3 mixed pairs event but were narrowly defeated by the Republic of Korea, who went on to defend their Paralympic title. Despite this, the pair’s achievements in Paris have set a high bar for future Australian boccia teams.
On the other side of the arena, Taylor Gosens, a 26-year-old UNSW judo club member, made her Paralympic debut in the women's +70 kg J2 category. Competing in the Champ-de-Mars Arena, Gosens faced formidable opponents in her first Paralympic appearance. Her initial match was against Cuba’s Sheyla Hernandez Estupinan, the world’s second-ranked judoka. Despite a strong start, Gosens was defeated by an ‘ippon’ within the first minute of the bout.
Gosens had another chance in the repechage round, where she faced Kazakhstan’s Zarina Raifova, the world number three. The match was a gruelling contest lasting over two minutes. Gosens showed resilience and tactical skill but was ultimately defeated by an ‘ippon’ scored by Raifova. This result placed Gosens seventh overall in the tournament.
Reflecting on her experience, Gosens acknowledged the challenges of competing at such a high level. “It was rough, but that first fight is just judo, it can be one small thing,” she said. “I’m learning that my body is ready but my brain and gaining control of my nerves still need work.” Despite the setbacks, Gosens was grateful for the experience and is eager to apply the lessons learned to future competitions. To think Taylor has only been competing internationally for one year is truly remarkable and no doubt a bright future ahead.
We are so proud of these two women, and our other UNSW Olympians, putting UNSW on the map as not only one of the top 20 Universities in the world but also one of the top Australian sporting Universities. Bring on Los Angeles in 2028!