Para sport notebook: Brianna Hennessy wins the silver medal at Para canoe worlds

MILAN – Brianna Hennessy of Ottawa took the silver medal in the women’s VL2 200-metre race on Sunday at the integrated 2025 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

Anastasia Miaskinova, an individual neutral athlete, won the 200-metre race in 1:02.62. Hennessy, the Paralympic silver medallist in the event at the 2024 Paralympic Games, was second in 1:04.12 and Jeannette Chippington of Great Britain third in 1:04.47.

Hennessy experienced an unfortunate equipment issue in her final but she expressed her pride in bringing home a medal for her country.

“I spent my race trying to stay in the lane rather than sprinting,’’ she told CanoeKayak Canada.  ‘’So, very bad luck today. I’m still very happy to medal for Canada, but you know, I guess today is not my day. The stars did not align. But there’s always a next year, and I’ll be coming.”

Hennessy, who now has six medals from the last four worlds,  opened the competition on Wednesday edging Miaskinova in the opening heat as both racers earned a direct ticket to the A Final.

Two-time Paralympian Erica Scarff of Mississauga, Ont., also reached an A Final placing eighth in the women’s VL3.

Three-time Paralympian Sabrina Duchesne retires

Para swimmer Sabrina Duchesne of St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, near Quebec City has announced her retirement from the national team. She says her sport experience brought her confidence in all facets of life as a person with a disability.

“I am proud to have persevered despite the obstacles I have encountered throughout my career’’  Duchesne told Sportcom. ‘’ I have always persevered and done my best.’’

The 24-year-old who has spastic diparesis affecting her lower limbs, competed at the last three Paralympic Games earning a bronze in the women’s 4X100-metre freestyle relay at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

She also won a bronze medal in the women’s S7 400 freestyle at the 2023 Para swimming world championships in Manchester, England and was third in the same event at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto.

She retires holding the Canadian long course and short course records in the women’s S7 200-m and 400-m freestyles.

“It’s a career I’m proud of, with my dream of winning a Paralympic medal fulfilled,”.  She is now pursuing a new career as a criminologist.

“My bronze medal in Tokyo was something truly unexpected and probably even more special than an individual medal because it was a team effort, with my friends.”