Hayward, Shaw win Para cycling bronze at 2024 Paralympic Games

PARIS – Alexandre Hayward made a spectacular debut and Keely Shaw maintained herself among the best in the world as both Canadians won bronze in their respective 3,000-metre individual pursuits on Friday in Para cycling action at the 2024 Paralympic Games.

It was the first career Paralympic Games race for Hayward, from Quispamsis, N.B., who has rocketed up the international rankings since his national team debut in 2022.

‘’To share this moment with the people who have been by my side for the last 12 years is probably what I’ll remember the most about today,’’ said Hayward, 27, who broke his neck in a AAA hockey game in 2012. ‘’They knew me before my injury and they stuck by me after the injury.’’

In that men’s C3 3000m race (competitors in C class ride on standard bikes) Jaco Van Gass defeated Finlay Graham in an all UK showdown for the gold. Van Gass, who lowered the world record in the opening heats, clocked 3:18.460, more than four seconds ahead of his compatriot.

In the bronze medal race, Hayward was also dominant, finishing in a personal best 3:24.865 while his opponent Eduardo Santas Asensio of Spain clocked 3:28.617. Asensio was ranked third after qualification ahead of Hayward.

‘’I was a bit disappointed with my qualifying time,’’ said Hayward. ‘’I was really just hoping to get another shot.’’

In that qualifier, Devon Briggs of New Zealand appeared on the cusp of beating Hayward’s time and knocking the Canadian out of the medal round, but the Kiwi completely lost his velocity in the dying moments.

A recent engineering graduate at the University of New Brunswick, Hayward used some of those skills in his preparation for the medal race.

‘’I made an engineering move,’’ he said with a smile. ‘’I went for a lighter rear tire hoping that I could get a couple extra seconds at the start because that’s where Santas got me in the qualifier.

‘’It worked out.’’

Revenge for Shaw

In the women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit, Emily Petricola of Australia was not going to be beaten on this day. She set a world record in the heats then lapped her compatriot Anna Taylor in the gold medal final.

In the pursuit, opponents start at opposite ends of the track.

Shaw got revenge on American Samantha Bosco winning the third place race in 3:46.942, just off her personal best of 3:44.012 in the heats. Bosco, who beat the Canadian for gold at the Parapan Am Games in November, finished in 3:48.589.

Shaw also won the bronze at Tokyo 2020 and will also be a medal threat in the road races next week.

‘’Winning one medal at the Paralympics is pretty incredible but to repeat three years later is absolutely incredible,” said Shaw, 30. ‘’I didn’t even allow myself to hope for this. The sport has come so far since Tokyo with the times getting progressively faster and faster. I was hoping just to get into the medal match, to get a bit of redemption on the American.’’

Shaw admitted she had doubts about reaching the podium.

‘’I was really unsure going into that bronze race,’’ she said. ‘’My coach just told me all you have to do is go out and ride your bike, go have fun. The worst thing I could do was lose, nobody was going to die, and everyone was going to love me just as much.’’

And that everyone is now an entire country.

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