OTTAWA – The summer season in Para sport in heating up with several world championships scheduled that could have an impact on how many Canadians head to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
The first big one was just completed last week with the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships. Canada produced solid performances with the women placing fifth and the men sixth, its best result since 2010.
Those worlds determined the Paralympic Games spots by continent. Both Canadian squads will have a first opportunity to snare a ticket to Paris with a victory at the Parapan American Games this November in Chile.
Here are other world championships scheduled for the next couple of months.
July 8-17: Para athletics, World Championships, Paris
Canada is fielding a 25-member team for the Para athletics worlds. It includes Paralympic Games champion and world record holder Nate Riech in the T38 1500m, wheelchair racing star Brent Lakatos, Games medallist sprinter Marissa Papaconstantinou and wheelchair racer Austin Smeenk, one of Canada’s hottest athletes internationally this season.
These worlds are the first opportunity for athletes to achieve direct qualification slots for Canada for the 2024 Paralympic Games.
There are 12 returnees from the Tokyo 2020 team where Canada won eight medals.
July 31 – August 6: Para swimming, World Championships, Manchester, England
This will be the second consecutive year for a worlds in Para swimming. Last summer in Portugal, the Canadian team totalled 18 medals including six gold, its best showing since 2010 after marching to the podium eight times at Tokyo 2020.
This year’s 21-member squad has 14 returnees from Tokyo 2020 and 15 back from the 2022 worlds. They include five-time Paralympic Games champion Aurélie Rivard, Nicolas-Guy Turbide, the reigning world champ in the S13 100m backstroke, S7 50m women’s butterfly world and Paralympic champion Danielle Dorris, and Shelby Newkirk, the S6 100m backstroke champ in Portugal.
A top-two finish at the worlds will be one way to guarantee a spot for a nation in that event at the 2024 Paralympics.
August 3-13, Para cycling, World Championships, Scotland
This year, the UCI has gathered the entire cycling community for a massive world championship festival to be held mainly in Glasgow as well as a few other locations in Scotland. In addition to Para cycling and cycling on both the track and road, there will be mountain biking, BMX and more in an event expected to attract around 8,000 athletes.
Canada’s Para cycling team collected two medals at Tokyo 2020 including a bronze for Saskatchewan’s Kelly Shaw in the women’s individual pursuit. In 2022, Shaw was also a double bronze medallist at the road worlds as Canadians reached the podium seven times.
Shelly Gautier and Charles Moreau add a veteran presence to the national team while newcomers such as Vancouver’s Nathan Clement, also a double medallist at the 2022 worlds, and Alexandre Hayward are already making noise internationally.
The Para cycling track events run from August 3-8 and the road events from August 9-13.
Country quota spots for Paralympic Games cycling will be based on world rankings.
August 23-26: Para canoe, World Championships, Duisburg, Germany
Ottawa’s Brianna Hennessy has emerged as Canada’s top medal contender over the past two years as she looks to repeat her double medal performance from the 2022 worlds in the VL2 and KL2 events. Other Canadians on the cusp include veteran Erica Scarff and Mathieu St-Pierre.
A top-six finish at worlds is worth a spot for a nation at the 2024 Games.
September 22-24, Para triathlon, World Championships, Pontevedra, Spain
Calgary’s Stefan Daniel is only 26 years old but he will be chasing a sixth world title in the PS5 category and look to successfully defend his crown from 2022 in Abu Dhabi. Also watch for Kamylle Frenette of Dieppe, N.B., in the women’s PS5 as she hopes to at least repeat a bronze medal performance from the 2022 worlds.
World rankings determine the Paralympic Games slots for each country.
Other events to watch for over the next few months are:
July 17-23, Para archery, World Championships, Pilsen, Czechia
August 18-27: IBSA World Games, Birmingham, England (including Para judo, goalball)
August 23-30: Para powerlifting, World Championships, Dubai, UAE
September 3-10: Para rowing, World Championships, Belgrade, Serbia
September 19-29: Para shooting, World Championships, Lima, Peru
October 2-8: wheelchair fencing, World Championships, Terni, Italy
