Para sport notebook: Alexandre Hayward opens Para cycling World Cup season with gold

OOSTENDE, Belgium – Paralympic Games medallist Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B., won the gold medal in the season opening road race Sunday on the Para cycling World Cup circuit.

Hayward placed first in the men’s 70 kilometre C3 race clocking one hour and 42.02 minutes. Louis Hubert of France was second 22 seconds behind the Canadian and Thomas Peyroton Dartet, also of France, was third.

On Saturday, Hayward also took the bronze in the 29.2 kilometre time trial finishing 30 seconds behind the winner Eduardo Santas Asensio of Spain. Hubert was second.

Michael Sametz of Calgary, in his first major race since breaking his hip in training at the Paris Paralympics in September, took eighth spot in the time trial.

Also on the podium was world championship team member Maarten Duif of Carleton Place, Ont., with a silver the men’s 14.6 kilometre H1 (handcycle) time trial.

‘’Second place tasting pretty good in Oostende!,’’ exclaimed Duif on his Instagram account.  ‘’Thankful for the support all around me, a year of training paying off!’’

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Veteran Shelley Gautier of Niagara Falls, Ont., placed third in both women’s T1 time trial and road race.

Keely Shaw of Midale, Sask., a two-time Paralympic Games medallist was fourth and fifth in the women’s C4 time trial and road race while Jessica Law of Vancouver was seventh in both races in the women’s C5 and Mel Pemble of Victoria eighth in the women’s C3 time trial.

The next stop on the World Cup is this upcoming weekend in Maniago, Italy.

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Northern Ontario wins Canadian wheelchair curling title

Team Northern Ontario’s Douglas Dean (Thunder Bay)  captured his first national title at the 2025 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship which concluded Saturday afternoon in Boucherville, Que.

Dean overpowered Team Québec #1’s Carl Marquis (Magog) 8-5 for the second time in the tournament, after having been the only one to take down the home team powerhouse all week.

Marquis competed at three Paralympic Games for Canada in wheelchair racing (1996, 2000, 2004)

“To finally cross that finish line after capturing three silvers and to bring it home to Northern Ontario, we couldn’t be happier,” said Dean. “I’m super proud of my team; we struggled here and there, but nobody got down on each other, and nobody pointed fingers. We just worked through it, and that’s what’s important to me.”

Dean, joined on the ice by vice-skip Gino Sonego, second Rick Bell, lead Lola Graham, and coach Doug Gelmich, kept powering forward, winning the game with consistency and patience.