Fourth place ”stings” for Mel Pemble at Paralympic Games

PARIS – Mel Pemble hopes a world record performance will cheer her up eventually but for now the 24-year-old from Victoria is feeling the ‘’sting’’ of a fourth-place finish Saturday in the women’s C1-3 500m time trial in Para cycling at the Paralympic Games.

It was the last day on the track for the Canadians and the four-member squad took home three bronze medals.

Amanda Reid of Australia (a C2 rider) won the gold medal clocking 36.676 seconds, Wangwei Qian of China (C1) was second at 37.616 and Maike Hausberger of Germany (C2) was third at 38.358.

The German just edged Pemble who finished in 38.610 just off her C3 world record set in the morning heats at 38.512.

The C category riders ride on standard bikes and the lower the number the higher the disability. There is a percentage time factorization for the C1 and C2 riders to make the race fair.

‘’I know it’s going to sweeten the pot a little knowing I set that world record and it will make that fourth place sting a little less in the end,’’ said Pemble, who reached the podium at the last two worlds in the event against C3 competition.

‘’But it’s going to take a little while to get over that.’’

Saturday’s races were the first for Pemble at the summer Paralympics. In 2018, she competed in four events in Para alpine skiing posting two top-10 finishes.

She joined the Para cycling national team in 2022.

‘’It actually feels like my first because of how different I prepared and how specific the training was since the 500 was my only track race compared to skiing when I was doing all the events,’’ said Pemble who has cerebral palsy affecting her right side. ‘’Having that medal potential going in here made it also feel much larger as well.’’

Born in England, Pemble moved to Canada in 2009 with her parents. Still sporting the English accent, she was thrilled to perform before many family and friends including her grandmother.

‘’I’ve got quite the crew,’’ she smiled. ‘’I was able to pick them out in the crowd and I was able to wave to them after I finished the races. To see them after my world record it was so nice. I enjoyed the final so much more, I was more relaxed and to see them after, it was so good to have them here.’’

Canada’s bronze medallists on the track were Kate O’Brien of Calgary on Thursday in the women’s C4-5 500m time trial while on Friday it was Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B. in the men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit and Keely Shaw of Midale, Sask. in the women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit.

Canada will have six riders in the road races which run September 4-7.