Weekend recap: Canadian women second at Ottawa Invitational wheelchair basketball tournament

OTTAWA- Canada lost 80-60 to the U.S. on Sunday in the final at the Ottawa Invitational women’s wheelchair basketball tournament.

The four-country tournament held in Ottawa was a tune-up event for the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships on September 9-19, also in Ottawa.

The Canadians, fourth at the 2024 Paralympics, opened the tournament with two wins on Thursday 66-48 over Japan and 62-51 against Brazil. In its first game against the U.S. on Friday, the Americans prevailed 67-64.

In Saturday’s semifinal, Canada defeated Japan 69-58 before facing the Americans, the Paralympic Games silver medallists,  in the final.

The Canadian team members included Paralympians Kady Dandeneau of Pender Island, B.C., Sofia Fassi-Fehri of Montreal, Melanie Hawtin of Oakville, Ont., Puisand Lai of Toronto, Tara Llanes of North Vancouver, Cindy Ouellet of Quebec City, Tamara Steeves of Mississauga, Ont., Élodie Tessier of St-Germain de Grantham, Que., and Arinn Young of Legal, Ont.

Also on the squad were Lily Brook of Salmon Arm, B.C., Elise Froese of Victoria, Bethany Johnson of Winnipeg, Rosie Long of Oakville, Ont., Charlotte McElroy of Hamilton and Mercy Nyakundi of Hamilton.

Paralympic medallist Leanne Taylor fourth at Para Triathlon Series

Leanne Taylor of Oak Bluff, Man., continued her return to elite competition after becoming a mother at the Para triathlon Series in Montreal.

Racing in the women’s wheelchair classification, Taylor finished fourth in 1:06:33, continuing her steady progression back onto the international stage.

Taylor, bronze medallist at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris,  did not compete in 2025 during her pregnancy. She and her husband and competition handler, Scott Dyk, welcomed their son Oliver, now 10 months old, to the world. The family travelled to Japan last month for the World Cup event in Yokohama where Taylor placed fifth in her return to competition.

Olivier Desloges of Drummondville, Que., at his fifth international event was seventh in the men’s visually impaired with his guide Edward Ouellet. In her international debut, Margot Wehrle of Victoria and her guide Elani Bykowski were ninth.

Strong Para swimming presence for Bell Canadian Swimming Trials

It is the first time in 14 years, Montreal’s Parc Olympique will host the Bell Canadian Swimming  Trials, July 5-9, bringing together the country’s best athletes as they compete for prestigious spots on Swimming Canada’s international teams.

The Para swimming events will feature two-time Paralympic champion Nicholas Bennett of Parksville, B.C., Para world champion and world record holder Mary Jibb of Muskoka, Ont.

When the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials return to Montreal this summer, Tess Routliffe will have the rare opportunity to compete for national team selection in her own backyard. The High Performance Centre – Quebec athlete calls Parc Olympique home.

“This will be my first time competing in the stadium with an audience,” said the three-time Paralympic medallist. “We’ve had a great year getting back in the water and working on new things, so it’ll be great to see some fast swimming.”

CBC Gem, CBC Sports  and ICI TOU.TV will stream each session beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET for heats and 5:30 p.m. ET for finals.

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