Pieter Cilissen
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Pieter Cilissen
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| nationality = Belgium
| sport = Boccia
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|1|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = Tongeren, Belgium
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| country = {{BEL}}
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{{Medal|Sport|Boccia}}
{{Medal|Country|{{BEL}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|Summer Paralympics}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2012 London|Mixed pairs BC3}}
{{Medal|Competition|World Boccia Championships}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2010 Lisbon|Mixed pairs BC3}}
}}
Pieter Cilissen (born January 3, 1978) is a Belgian Paralympian and Boccia player. His active playing career started in 1997 at the age of 19 and ended in 2019 at the age of 41, making his career of 22 years at the international stage a near unicum.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-03 |title=Pieter Cilissen: "Ik stop, maar met een tip: proef van boccia!" |url=https://www.gsportvlaanderen.be/nieuws/pieter-cilissen-ik-stop-maar-met-een-tip-proef-van-boccia |access-date=2024-05-27 |language=nl}} His first Paralympics was Sydney 2000 where he finished 5th in the Pairs with Jean-Luc Béro. He missed Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 but in London 2012, he won a bronze medal in boccia for mixed pairs BC3. Cilissen also competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro but failed to get a medal.{{Cite web |language=fr |date=2016-09-11 |title=Jeux Paralympiques: l’équipe belge de boccia BC3 éliminée |url=https://www.lesoir.be/art/1314134/article/sports/jeux-olympiques/2016-09-11/jeux-paralympiques-l-equipe-belge-boccia-bc3-eliminee/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |publisher=www.lesoir.be}}
Personal life
Due to an oxygen defect at birth, Cilissen suffers from cerebral palsy, which leaves him incapable of controlling the movement of arms and legs and impediments his speech. He lives in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe.{{Cite web |language=nl |date=2013-04-17 |title=Bronzen Zinneke voor paralympiër Pieter Cylissen |url=https://www.bruzz.be/sport/bronzen-zinneke-voor-paralympier-pieter-cylissen-2013-04-17 |access-date=2024-05-27 |publisher=www.bruzz.be}}
Career
At the 2010 Boccia World Championships in Lisbon, he won a bronze medal in the Pairs BCS together with Kirsten De Laender and Pieter Verlinden.[https://www.feddf.es/archivos/calendario/669.pdf]
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, in London, he won a bronze medal in Pairs BC3, with Kirsten De Laender and Pieter Verlinden.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-08 |title=London 2012 - boccia - mixed-pairs-bc3 {{!}} International Paralympic Committee |url=https://www.paralympic.org/london-2012/results/boccia/mixed-pairs-bc3 |access-date=2022-11-22 |archive-date=2021-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508201631/https://www.paralympic.org/london-2012/results/boccia/mixed-pairs-bc3 |url-status=bot: unknown }}{{Cite web |title=Boccia at the London 2012 Paralympic Games |url=https://db.ipc-services.org/sdms/hira/web/competition/code/PG2012/sport/BO |website=db.ipc-services.org |access-date=2022-11-22 |archive-date=2022-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122214031/https://db.ipc-services.org/sdms/hira/web/competition/code/PG2012/sport/BO |url-status=dead }} H also competed in Mixed Individual BC3 but was eliminated in the 1/8th final.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-13 |title=London 2012 - boccia - mixed-individual-bc3 {{!}} International Paralympic Committee |url=https://www.paralympic.org/london-2012/results/boccia/mixed-individual-bc3 |access-date=2022-11-22 |archive-date=2021-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513195832/https://www.paralympic.org/london-2012/results/boccia/mixed-individual-bc3 |url-status=bot: unknown }}
At the 2015 Boccia European Team and Pairs Championships, in Guildford, Great-Britain, Cilisson won the Pairs competition together with Kenneth Verwimp and Julie Lambrechts.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5txAkPTY2I]
At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, he competed in Boccia Mixed Pairs BC3.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-21 |title=Rio 2016 - boccia - mixed-pairs-bc3 {{!}} International Paralympic Committee |url=https://www.paralympic.org/rio-2016/results/boccia/mixed-pairs-bc3 |access-date=2022-11-22 |archive-date=2021-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921015322/https://www.paralympic.org/rio-2016/results/boccia/mixed-pairs-bc3 |url-status=bot: unknown }}
Awards
In 2013, Cilissen received Brussel's Bronze Zinneke, an award given to people who contribute to the image of Brussels. He was the first Paralympic athlete to receive the award. He is now officially an "Ambassador of Brussels", following in the footsteps of such other famous Brussels athletes as Eddy Merckx, Paul Van Himst, Vincent Kompany etc.
In February 2016, Cilissen received Belgium's Trophy Victor Boin, the first Boccia player to receive the award.{{Cite web |language=fr |date=2016-02-25 |title=Pieter Cilissen reçoit le trophée Victor Boin |url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/pieter-cilissen-recoit-le-trophee-victor-boin-9223011 |access-date=2024-05-27 |publisher=www.rtbf.be}}
References
External links
- {{sports links}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYuooxT66Mc Paralympic Games Rio 2016 - Presentation athletes: Pieter Cilissen (Boccia)]
- [https://sporza.be/nl/2016/08/31/pieter-cilissen-boccia-1-2756418/ Pieter Cilissen (boccia) - Profile Sporza]
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Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for Belgium
Category:Paralympic boccia players for Belgium
Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Category:Boccia players at the 2000 Summer Paralympics