Para sport notebook: Pemble pedals to four medals, including gold, at Para cycling track world championships

RIO DE JANEIRO – Two-time Paralympian Mel Pemble of Victoria concluded a phenomenal performance on Sunday at the 2025 Para Track World Championships with a gold medal in the women’s C3 sprint, to finish with four medals. 

According to Cycling Canada, Pemble also won the bronze in the scratch race, silver in the kilo, and silver in the elimination race. With Sunday’s gold, she now holds eleven world championship medals in her career.

”This one’s extra special,” said Pemble on her Facebook page about her gold medal. ”Ever since I started track cycling, this event has been my favourite, and I dreamt of the day there would be a Para cycling edition, so to end up winning the first one…it’s a dream come true.”

Jessica Law of Vancouver also produced a solid weekend with fourth in the 200-m flying start to reach the semifinals in the sprint and sixth in the women’s C5 elimination race,

Kate O’Brien of Calgary was fourth in the women’s C4 200-metre flying start and  fifth in the Kilo

Stefan Daniel fourth at Para triathlon world championships

Canada’s Stefan Daniel came up shy in his quest to successfully defend his World Para Triathlon Championship title on Saturday in Wollongong, Australia.

The 28-year-old Calgarian battled to find his top gear throughout the triple sport sprint distance challenge, clocking a fourth-place time of 1:00:01.

“It wasn’t very good today. It just wasn’t my day. I didn’t have it in any of the disciplines,” said Daniel. “I felt like I was in pretty decent shape coming into this, but unfortunately it didn’t show. I gave it my best effort, but it wasn’t good enough to stay with the front guys. They were on it all day, and they are all deserving of where they placed.”

The six-time world championship medallist was seventh out of the 750-metre swim. He climbed two positions throughout the 20-kilometre cycling course before picking up one more spot on the field in the five-kilometre run.

American Chris Hammer was crowned World Champion in the men’s standing classification, breaking the tape with a time of 58:33. Australia’s Jack Howell was second at 59:01, while Germany’s Martin Schultz held on for the bronze medal with a time of 59:23.

Canada finishes fourth and sixth at sitting volleyball World Cup

Italy beat Canada on Saturday 3-1 (24–26, 25–20, 25–13, 25–18) for bronze at the World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

• Full standings and results: www.worldparavolley.org

Canada finishes in fourth place overall in the women’s tournament, while Italy earned its first-ever World Cup medal.

Veteran Heidi Peters led Canada in scoring against Italy with 20 points. Italy led overall in attack points (41-33), and aces (11-10). Canada led in blocks (14-12)

The Canadian women, 2024 Paralympic bronze medalists, wrapped up the tournament with three wins and four losses, which included a win over Italy earlier in the pool phase. 

On the men’s side, Canada wrapped up the tournament with two five-setters. On Friday they faced Croatia, winning 3-2 to advance to the 5-6th final.

In the men’s fifth-place classification match, Poland rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Canada 3-2 (16–25, 25–16, 21–25, 25–16, 15–9). Darek Symonowicz led Canada with 15. Canada placed sixth overall with a record of 4-4.

The World Cup was a qualification pathway to the 2026 WPV Sitting Volleyball World Championships, which will take place in Hangzhou, China, next July, and an important competition for teams preparing for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games. 

Canadian rosters