Para sport update : Alexandre Hayward wins gold at Para cycling road world championships

RONSE, Belgium – Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B., has won the gold medal in the men’s C3 time trial at the Para cycling road world championships.

Hayward, a Paralympic Games bronze medallist in track cycling last year in Paris, clocked the 23.2 kilometre course in 30 minutes and 06.33 seconds for his first career world crown on the road. The ‘’C’’ category  is for riders on standard bikes.

”That’s what I dreamed of every time I competed in the world championships, and my legs felt good this year,’ ” Hayward said in an interview with Radio-Canada Sports. ”I sincerely believed I had a real chance of winning. I didn’t tell anyone, but every time I visualized my race, I had a hard time not imagining myself on the top step of the podium.”

Louis Hubert of France was eight seconds behind the Canadian and Finlay Graham of Great Britain was third nearly 14 seconds back from the winning time.

Hayward, 28, broke his neck in 2012 at age 16 in a AAA hockey game and competed at his first worlds in 2022.

In the same race, Michael Sametz of Calgary, coming back from injury this season, was fifth 15 seconds off the pace.

Other Canadian time trial results. Jessica Law of Vancouver was fifth in the women’s C5 and Kara Douville of Calgary eighth in the women’s H4 (handcycle).

Canada in semifinals at women’s Para ice hockey worlds

Canada guaranteed itself first place in Group B by beating Great Britain 7-0 on Thursday at the inaugural women’s Para ice hockey world championships.

The Canadians conclude the preliminary round with two wins and no losses. They blanked Team World 10-0 on Tuesday. 

Six goals came in the first period against the British – from Sheena Darnley, Mackenzie Spong, Christina Picton, Hadley Frittenburg, Aubree Clements and Peyton Vergie.

Picton, the team captain, scored a shorthanded goal in the second period to seal the victory.

“We had some players’ objectives, so I’m really proud of the way the team responded well to my challenges before the game,’’ said Canada’s head coach Tara Chisholm. ‘’We also wanted to make sure to challenge Great Britain, so they can get better also.

‘’Being a new nation, not playing a lot internationally can be hard. That makes us feel great about the result, but also about the growth of the sport.”

Canada faces Norway in the semifinal on Saturday (live on the Paralympic YouTube channel at 10 a.m. ET). The British face the Americans in the other semi while Team World and Australia battle for fifth.

The final is Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

With files from IPC, Radio-Canada