Brent Lakatos collects second silver at World Para Athletics Championships

PARIS – After barely qualifying for the final, Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que. took it up several notches on Friday to win the silver medal in the men’s T53 1500m wheelchair race at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships.

Canada reaches the nine-medal mark (0-5-4) which surpasses its total from the Tokyo Paralympic Games and equals its haul from the 2017 worlds. Canada won six medals at the last worlds in 2019.

Marcel Hug of Switzerland took the gold in a championship record two minutes and 51.32 seconds for his 11^th career world crown which includes three in the 1500. Lakatos, a five-time Paralympian, finished in 2:52.07 with Prawat Whoram of Thailand third in 2:52.18.

‘’My strategy was to go to the front but I couldn’t and wound up in the middle of the pack,’’ said Lakatos, 43, at his seventh worlds. ‘’I attacked at 500-metres and made it to the finish. I took a break in training and this is the journey back towards 2024. From here I know what to do for training next year.’’

In Thursday’s prelims, Lakatos qualified in the 10^th and final spot by a mere 0.01 seconds as he nearly got surprised in a slow heat.

In other results Friday, Amanda Rummery of Edmonton was fourth in the women’s T47 400m in a personal best 59.06 and Thomas Normandeau of Peace River, Alta. was sixth in the men’s T47 400m in a season’s best 50.25.

The event continues in Paris through July 17. CBC Sports is streaming the event on CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem and the CBC Sports app for mobile devices. The schedule is available here: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/streaming-schedule?sport=Para+Athletics