Para canoe athletes encouraged by “heartbeat from home” as they advance

PARIS – After winning her women’s va’a single 200m VL2 heat, Brianna Hennessy advances directly to the finals race on Saturday.

Hennessy, known for her hot starts, took the lead immediately. From there the race was just about holding on — and she did. She finished at the top of her heat with a time of 1:02.64.

“It’s good to get them out of the way, get those initial nerves out of the way, and we executed everything according to game plan today, so I think coach is really happy,” Hennessy said. 

With this victory, she bypassed the semi-final to go directly to the medal race. But when she gets there, another challenge awaits her. 

Emma Wiggs, of Great Britain, is the current record holder in this race with a time of 57.02. A record she set at the last Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020. On Friday, she finished in 1:00.95, at the top of her heat,  just over a second and half faster than the Canadian. 

The two will battle it out on Saturday in the final. 

Hennessy also advanced in the women’s para kayak 200m KL1 event, finishing fourth in her heat with a time of 59.02. With this result, she has advanced to the semi-finals on Sunday.

As she finds success in Paris, Hennessy is soaking in the red and white support. 

“I think it’s incredible to have my family here with me this time, just like a heartbeat from back home,” she said.

“I think that it is going to totally propel us in the finals tomorrow.”

Erica Scarff also raced for Canada on Friday morning. She finished third in her va’a single VL3 200m heat with a time of 1:01.16, qualifying her for the semi-finals on Saturday. 

“First race, I was super nervous, but I think it went really well. I executed my plan and I used the crowd and my competitors to motivate me to get to the finish,” she said after the race. 

“It’s really emotional for me, especially after missing out on the last Paralympics, that was really difficult, and now that I’m here, it’s even more special.”

The third Canadian to advance on Friday was two-time Paralympian Mathieu St-Pierre of Shawinigan Que.

The men’s va’a 200m VL2 racer finished fourth in his heat with a time of 58.46, and qualified for the semi-finals on Sunday.