DUISBURG, Germany – Brianna Hennesy of Ottawa and Erica Scarff of Mississauga, Ont. each won a silver medal on Friday in Para events at the ICF World Canoe and Kayak Sprint Championships.
In the women’s VL2 (canoe outrigger) 200-metre, Emma Wiggs of Great Britain won the gold medal in 57.100 seconds with Hennessy second at 58.766 and Susan Seipel of Australia third at 59.232. It was a fifth consecutive world crown in the event for Wiggs, also the Paralympic Games champion at both Tokyo in 2021 and Rio in 2016.
Hennessy, who only emerged on the international Para canoe scene in 2021, repeats as the silver medallist but closed in on Wiggs from three seconds behind last year to within 1.6 seconds in Friday’s race.
Hennessy, a tetraplegic after being hit by a car in 2014, will chase a second medal on Saturday in the women’s KL1 (kayak) 200-metre.
A British paddler also won the women’s VL3 200, with Hope Gordon placing first in 56.199. Scarff, a 2016 Paralympian, followed in 57.582 for her first career world championship medal. Mari Christina Santilli of Brazil was third in 59.232.
Scarff, a leg amputee, continues a successful road back after being hit by a car in 2018 which derailed her career. At last year’s worlds she was fourth in the event missing the podium by half a second and fifth at the 2021 worlds. This is her seventh career worlds.
Ben Brown of Weston, N.S. reached the men’s VL1 200 final and was ninth. Gabriel Ferron-Bouius of Ottawa reached the B final in the men’s KL3 and ranked 17th overall.
Canada advances to semifinals in women’s goalball at World Games
Canada’s women’s goalball team is still in contention at the International Blind Sport Association (IBSA) World Games as it advanced to the semifinals Friday with a 6-3 victory over Israel.
Israel were the world championships bronze medallists last year, defeating Canada in the third place match 4-2.
The next opponent for the Canadians is China, fifth at the Tokyo Paralympics two years ago while Canada was ninth.
In the preliminary round, the Canadian women won its first four games which included a 6-1 triumph over Paralympic Games silver medallist USA. They lost to Brazil on Thursday to conclude the prelims at 4-1.
Canadian team members are Whitney Bogart, Amy Burk and Emma Reinke, all of Ottawa, and Meghan Mahon from Calgary. There are three players on the court at one time.
Brieann Baldock of Edmonton and Maryam Salehizadeh of Vancouver were named to the team but did not travel due to injury.
In Para judo, Priscilla Gagné of Montreal was fifth in women’s 57 kilos and Justin Karn of Hamilton seventh in men’s 60 kilos.
