Canadian Parapan Am Team on Day 4: Eight medals from Para cycling and swimming

LIMA – The Canadian Parapan Am Team is now up to 17 medals at the Lima 2019 Parapan Am Games, after winning its Games-best one-day total to date of eight medals on Monday. 

MEDAL CHART:

TOP HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY

Canada went 1-2 in the women’s tandem individual pursuit as Para cycling kicked off at the velodrome. In an all-Canadian gold medal final, after qualifying in first and second positions, Carla Shibley and pilot Meghan Lemiski nabbed top spot with a time of 3:50.575, just ahead of their teammates Annie Bouchard and pilot Evelyne Gagnon who earned the silver medal. 

“I’m super excited and surprised with our result. I didn’t expect us to win a gold medal, I wasn’t feeling the greatest after the semifinal, I was having some breathing issues, and I was able to tough it out. I told myself that I just needed to suffer a little more in the last four laps just to win by that last second. I couldn’t be prouder with this result and I’m excited to move onto the kilo [time trial] race tomorrow and see what happens.”
– Carla Shibley 

Not to be left out, male tandem racers Lowell Taylor and pilot Andrew Davidson also reached the podium with a silver in the men’s individual pursuit. They finished behind Colombians Nelson Serna and pilot Marlon Perez, who had qualified for the final in first position. This is the first Parapan Am Games medal for each Canadian tandem racer, in their first multi-sport Games. 

“I felt so much pride not in myself but pride in the country, and gratitude. I actually had a lot of gratitude for all the support, from Canada, from my family, for Andrew, everybody who has been alongside me to get here. Para sport is not about the individual, it’s about the team so I was just feeling so much gratitude for everybody today.”
– Lowell Taylor 

Canada also earned a double podium finish in Para swimming. Fifteen-year-old Nicholas Bennett captured his second gold in as many nights, this time touching first in the men’s S14 200m freestyle. He was joined on the podium by his teammate Tyson MacDonald, who won bronze. Bennett’s race time was 1:59.10 while MacDonald completed his third-place performance in 2:03.44 for his first-ever major Games medal. 

“It’s fantastic. The goal was to be on the podium tonight, regardless of if it was 1-2 or 1-3. It’s going to be great to hear O Canada. On the turn, I thought I was third but it only matters when you touch the wall. I just had to keep fighting for home, and luckily we got the bronze.”
– Tyson MacDonald

A second Canadian swimmer became a first-time gold medallist at the Parapan Am Games, as Angela Marina swam a golden race in the women’s S14 200m freestyle. The 20-year-old’s time was 2:15.16, a new Canadian record. Rounding out the medals at the pool were: Krystal Shaw winning the silver medal in the women’s S7 100m freestyle in a personal best time of 1:23.90 and Arianna Hunsicker taking home the bronze in the women’s S10 200m individual medley. For each of these athletes, who are part of a NextGen swim team here at Lima 2019, this is their first medal at a multi-sport Games. 

“This makes me happy and proud of myself. I think yesterday I was a little nervous and rushed my stroke but today I just believed in myself and I didn’t overthink the strategy, and that’s exactly what I did. I couldn’t be happier.”
– Angela Marina

“That was a good race. I’m happy I got a best time and dropped three seconds. I wasn’t really aiming for a medal too much, I just wanted to do my best, especially considering that my breaststroke hasn’t been at its best lately from an injury. The rest of my strokes made up for it and that’s what got me a best time and it feels so good to win a medal along with that.”
– Arianna Hunsicker

The Canadian wheelchair rugby team will be going for gold after ousting Brazil 56-46 in the semifinals. The defending Parapan Am Games champions stayed ahead in the game from start to finish with Zak Madell and Shayne Smith leading the scoring for Canada. The team will now take on rivals United States for the gold medal, with the winner receiving an automatic berth in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 

“I think we played well as a team. We had each other’s backs and we’re ready for tomorrow. I think the team has been absolutely dominant and we’re coming for the U.S. We have to do a little bit better in our transitions. I think we can turn it up a little. Same energy, with a little more focus and I think we’ll be all right.” 
– Shayne Smith 

With a 74-48 win over Mexico, the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team is now 2-0 through their first two games. After a tight first quarter, after which Canada actually trailed 17-14, the team was able to wrest back control to earn the comfortable win. Patrick Anderson scored 26 points, with Bo Hedges and Nik Goncin adding 18 and 13 points of their own. 

In sitting volleyball, round-robin play came to an end as both the men and women faced off against the USA and posted straight-set losses. The women finish with a 1-2 record and will face Brazil in the semifinals. On the men’s side, they end preliminary play with a 3-2 mark and now will take on USA for a place in the final. 

The Canadian men and women both notched their first wins in goalball, posting dominant wins over hosts Peru. The women finished off their opponents by a score of 13-3 with the men going 11-1. 

For the complete Canadian Parapan Am Team results on August 26, please CLICK HERE.