Tokyo 2020 Day 7 Preview: Canada takes on USA in women’s wheelchair basketball quarterfinals

TOKYO – The Tokyo 2020 Canadian Paralympic Team is gearing up for an exciting Day 7, with the quarterfinals in women’s wheelchair basketball, the start of Para road cycling, and more races in Para swimming and Para athletics. Below is the line-up for Canada on Tuesday August 31 in Tokyo.  

Wheelchair Basketball 

Canada’s women’s wheelchair basketball team is set for a huge quarterfinal against their rivals, the United States, set for 12:30 p.m. JST / 11:30 p.m. ET (Monday night). The last time these two countries matched up, Canada defeated USA to take the gold medal at the Lima 2019 Parapan Am Games, in what was a thrilling 67-64 finish. In Tokyo, Canada posted a 3-1 record in the group stage, while the Americans were 2-2. USA is the defending Paralympic champion (having won gold at three of the past four Games) while Canada is aiming to make it back to the podium for the first time since 2004. 

Para Athletics 

In his debut Paralympic Games, Zachary Gingras (Markham, ON) will be racing for a podium in the men’s T38 400m final, scheduled for 7:31 p.m. JST / 6:31 a.m. ET. The 20-year-old set a new personal best in the heats. 

Marissa Papaconstantinou (Toronto, ON) is set for her first race in Tokyo, the women’s T64 200m heats taking place at 10 a.m. JST / 9 p.m. ET (Monday night). The final is scheduled for Tuesday evening in Tokyo.  

Para Cycling 

Canada’s Para cycling team turns its attention to the road, with eight riders competing in the time trial. 

In the women’s C4 road time trial are Kate O’Brien (Calgary, AB) and Keely Shaw (Midale, SK), both already medallists in Tokyo at the velodrome – O’Brien with a silver in the 500m time trial and Shaw a bronze in the 3000m individual pursuit. They hit the starting line at 8:30 a.m. JST / 7:30 p.m. ET (Monday night). 

Ross Wilson (Sherwood Park, AB) will be racing in the men’s C1 category, his maiden event of the Tokyo 2020 Games, beginning at 8:41 a.m. JST / 7:41 p.m. ET (Monday night). He captured a silver medal in this event at Rio 2016. 

The men’s H3 handcycling race will see three Canadians in action: Joey Desjardins (Hawkesbury, ON), Alex Hyndman (Morpeth, ON), and Charles Moreau (Victoriaville, QC). Moreau is the defending Paralympic bronze medallist in this event, while Desjardins and Hyndman will be making their first Paralympic appearances. Their race commences at 9:40 a.m. JST / 8:40 p.m. ET (Monday night). 

Canada also has two tricyclists in the women’s T1-2 competition starting at 3:37 p.m. JST / 2:37 a.m. ET – Marie-Eve Croteau (Quebec City, QC) and Shelley Gautier (Niagara Falls, ON). Five years ago, Croteau was sixth at Rio while Gautier won a bronze medal. 

Para Swimming 

It will be a busy day for Canada’s Para swimming team, with nine athletes racing in the heats. 

Zach Zona (Waterford, ON), in his Paralympic debut, kicks things off in the men’s 400m freestyle S8 heats at 9:07 a.m. JST / 8:07 p.m. ET (Monday night) with Canadians then featuring in heats through the next two hours. 

Swimmers in competition include Nicholas Bennett (Parksville, BC), Angela Marina (Cambridge, ON), Tammy Cunnington (Red Deer, AB), Sabrina Duchesne (St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC), Shelby Newkirk (Saskatoon, SK), Camille Bérubé (Gatineau, QC), and Alec Elliot (Kitchener, ON). 

Katarina Roxon (Kippens, NL) then closes out the heats for Canada at 10:43 a.m. JST / 9:43 p.m. ET (Monday night) in the women’s 100m freestyle S9. 

Finals start at 5 p.m. JST / 4 a.m. ET. 

CLICK HERE for the complete Canadian Paralympic Team schedule on August 31.