Paris 2024 Wheelchair Rugby Lookahead: Canada in medal mix

PARIS – If the recent Canada Cup tournament in Richmond, B.C., was an indicator the wheelchair rugby tournament at the Paralympic Games which starts on Thursday is too close to call.

“The top six — even top seven — are really close and it’s going to be a fight,” co-captain Patrice Dagenais told Ottawa Sports Pages.  “It’s not going to be easy, but it is possible for us to sneak in a couple close wins and hopefully end up on the podium.”

The Canada Cup in early June featured the top-six teams in the world. Number-one Australia, number-two USA, number-three Japan, number-four Great Britain, number-five Canada and number-six France.

Ten of the 16 matches were decided by five points or less. The Canadians lost three games by two points or less.

In Paris, Canada is in pool A with the USA, silver medallists at Tokyo 2020 and the 2022 worlds, Japan, the bronze medallists at those last two events and Germany. Pool B is comprised of reigning world champions Australia, defending Games champion Great Britain, France and Denmark.

Canada fields an experienced squad led by superstar scorer Zak Madell of Okotoks, Alta., headed to his fourth Games. He was second in scoring at both Tokyo 2020 and the 2023 Parapan American Games where Canada took the silver.

Defensively Canada has a powerful 1-2 punch with Trevor Hirshfield of Parksville, B.C., and Dagenais.  It’ll be a sixth Games for Mike Whitehead of Windsor, Ont.

“There’s so much experience and knowledge that we have as a team,” second-time Paralympian Byron Green told the Comox Valley Record. “I think we’re all really focused. We’re a really tight team, been playing together a long time.

‘’We have that unfinished business mindset.”

Canada opens against USA on Thursday then face Germany on Friday and Japan on Saturday. The top-two from each pool advance to Sunday’s semis with the medal games on Monday September 2.

All games are at l’aréna Champ-de-Mars.

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