QUEBEC CITY – Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B. won the gold medal in the men’s H2 time trial this past weekend, one of a handful of medal performances for Canadian riders at the third stop on the Para cycling road World Cup circuit.
Hayward, a former member of the men’s national junior wheelchair basketball team, is tuning up for the world championships which start Thursday in Baie-Comeau, Que. He took the 17.6 kilometre race in 25:05.03. Mathias Schindler of Germany was the runner-up on in the 13-man field in 25:17.66.
Other world championships team members with medal performances at the World Cup were Keely Shaw of Midale, Sask., with bronze medals in both the women’s C4 time trial and road races. Her exploits were duplicated by multiple world champion Shelley Gautier of Toronto in the women’s T1 classification.
Also of note, B.C.’s Nathan Clement, a former member on the national Para swimming team, was a double silver medallist in the men’s T1.
Para canoer Brianna Hennessy a double medallist at world championships
Ottawa’s Brianna Hennessy won the silver medal in the VL2 200-m and bronze in the KL1 200-m this weekend in the Para canoe events at the integrated canoe world championships held in Dartmouth, N.S.
In the VL2 200, Hennessy crossed the finish line in 1:01.42, two seconds behind Paralympic champion Emma Wiggs from Great Britain.
“I’m at a loss for words,” said Hennessy after the race. “I’m just proud of the team that I have and want to dedicate this race to the Ottawa River Canoe Club and all the kids back home who have had my back the whole time. I’m happy to be able to bring home some hardware for country. I’m very humbled.”
On Saturday, Hennessy – who made her Paralympic debut in Tokyo last summer – paddled her way to her second medal.
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet and I think it’s going to take a couple of days,” she said. “I’m known to be slow off the start and my coach calls me the ‘comeback kid’ so it’s in the last 100m where I really try and ramp it up and catch up to all the amazing athletes here. I am truly humbled and can’t really believe I did this.”
Canadian Para canoe teammates Erica Scarff of Mississauga, Ont. was fourth in the VL3 200m and Mathieu St-Pierre of Shawinigan, Que. seventh in the men’s VL2 200.
Canadian Para athletes win eight medals at Commonwealth Games
Sprinter Zachary Gingras, better known as a 400m runner for his third-place finish at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, won the bronze medal in the 100m event to cap a strong performance by Canadian Para athletes at the Commonwealth Games.
Canada’s Para athletes won eight medals (three gold, two silver and three bronze) at the 10- day integrated event.
A solid start got Gingras to run side by side with England’s Shaun Burrows. The pair crossed the finish line third and fourth, but in such synchrony that Gingras was not sure who had the edge.
On the board, he saw his name light up in the third place slot. His time of 11.65 was a 0.18-second PB.
“Coming down from the 400m, it’s weird to run the 100m, but I’m happy I performed on the day and gave it my all.”
“I guess the nerves were a good thing – they pushed me in the last 50,” he said. “I heard my mom screaming in the stands and that gave me a good little push.”
Gold medallists at the Games for Canada were Para swimmers Nicholas Bennett and Nicolas-Guy Turbide and the women’s 3X3 wheelchair basketball team. Silver went to the men’s wheelchair basketball 3X3 team and Para swimmer Aurélie Rivard, while bronze medals were won by Camille Bérubé in the pool, Jessica Tuomela and her guide Emma Skaug in Para triathlon, as well as Gingras.
With files from Athletics Canada and Canoe Kayak Canada
