Cody Fournie wins second gold with Paralympic Games record

PARIS – This time it was no contest.

Cody Fournie of Victoria is leaving Paris as the King of the T51 wheelchair sprints after a resounding victory Friday night in the 100-metre event. The 35-year-old set a Paralympic Games record 19.63 seconds.

It was his second gold of the Games. Earlier this week he won the 200.

Fournie also smashed his Canadian record from this past June which was 20.11.

Peter Genyn of Belgium, who held the previous Games record at 20.33, was second in 20.47 and Toni Piispanen of Finland third in 21.14.

‘’My training’s paid off,’’ said the low key Fournie. ‘’I attribute my performance tonight to my coach Geoffrey Harris. I executed the same technique at the start with shorter pushes because it worked so well in the 200.’’

With the great start, Fournie simply blew by his opponents and by the 40-metre mark the race was over.

‘’Before I came here I was looking at my competitors’ personal bests and they were better than what I had,’’ he said. ‘’I knew I had to perform. If I’m going to keep up with them I have to execute.’’

Jesse Zesseu of Toronto added the silver medal in the men’s discus throw in the Friday morning session.

Tolliboy Yuldashev of Uzbekistan took the gold launching his best distance on his sixth and final toss at 57.28 metres. Zesseu also launched his best on his final throw at 53.24. Haider Ali of Pakistan was third at 52.54.

‘’My last throw I felt the energy of the crowd and just wanted to let it go,’’ said Zesseu, 25, also a silver medallist at the Parapan Am Games last year. ‘’I started off with a good rhythm on my first throw and when I took the lead in the third round that put me in the right mindset that I can respond to anything.’’

Canada is up to seven medals in Para athletics at the Games with four gold and three silver.

Other Canadian results on Friday at Stade de France: Renee Foessel of Orangeville, Ont. was sixth in the women’s F38 discus throw and Marissa Papaconstantinou of Toronto was seventh in the women’s T64 100-metre sprint.

Papaconstantinou took ill after her fourth place in the 200 earlier this week which affected her preparations for her best event.

‘’It was the same time as my prelim so not much difference,’’ said Papaconstantinou, at her third Games. ‘’It’s been a challenging 48 hours and I’m just proud that I showed up and did my best regardless of the cards that have been dealt.’’

In qualifying rounds, Austin Smeenk of Oakville, Ont. qualified for the men’s T34 800m final finishing second in his heat. Smeenk won bronze earlier this week in the T34 100m.

That final is Saturday morning.