Three medals on the first day, three medals on the second day.
Team Canada kept it consistent and doubled its Beijing Paralympics podium count on Day 2 as skiers Alana Ramsay, Collin Cameron and Alexis Guimond posted bronze medal performances late Saturday, early Sunday.
Ramsay started things off at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre in the women’s Para alpine super-G standing, successfully defending her PyeongChang 2018 bronze medal in the event.
The 27-year-old Calgary native held off Ebba Aarsjoe of Sweden by just by 0.09 seconds for third place, crossing the finish line in one minute 16.84 seconds.
Ramsay had to overcome a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis after a crash at the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships to get her hands on a third career Paralympic medal.
“I fell out of love with the sport. It took me a while to get back into it,” said Ramsay, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, about the diagnosis, after the race.
“I had to take a whole year off and I didn’t get back into training until just before the pandemic hit, which made it even tougher to get back into the sport.”
WATCH l Alana Ramsay skis to super-G bronze medal:
Canada’s Alana Ramsay skis to super-G bronze medal
19 hours ago
Duration 2:02
Calgary’s Alana Ramsay captured a bronze medal in standing super-G Saturday at the Paralympic Winter Games. 2:02
It didn’t take long for another Canadian to claim a second medal of the night.
Shortly after Ramsay’s bronze, Cameron finished third in the men’s Para cross-country long distance sitting event at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre to collect Canada’s fifth medal in Beijing.
The 27-year-old from Bracebridge, Ont., a three-time bronze medallist in PyeongChang 2018, set a time of 47 minutes 36.6 seconds to add a fourth Paralympic honour to his name.
WATCH l Collin Cameron collects cross-country bronze:
Collin Cameron of Bracebridge, Ontario skied to a bronze medal Saturday in sitting cross-country collecting his fourth career Paralympic medal. 1:12
Back at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre, Guimond grabbed Canada’s third medal of the night with a bronze in the men’s super-G standing.
The native of Gatineau, Que., improved his fourth-place finish in the same event at PyeongChang 2018 by posting a time of one minute 10.02 seconds, just 0.91 seconds shy of gold medallist Liang Jingyi of China.
It’s Guimond’s second Paralympic medal, having earned bronze four years ago in the men’s giant slalom standing race.
WATCH l Alexis Guimond earns men’s super-Gbronze medal:
Alexis Guimond adds another bronze medal for Canada
17 hours ago
Duration 1:59
Alexis Guimond of Gatineau, Que. won his second career Paralympic medal claiming a bronze in the men’s standing super-G. 1:59
Here’s more of what you missed on Saturday:
Canada’s wheelchair curling team is 3 for 3
Seems like the Canadian wheelchair curling team is living by the ‘go big or go home’ motto in Beijing.
During Canada’s 10-3 win over Latvia to improve to 3-0 in round-robin play, they were faced with two options after an official moved a rock before it could be properly measured to check if Canada was up 1-0 or 2-0 at the end of the first end.
The Canadian squad, led by opening ceremony co-flag-bearer Ina Forrest, could either take one point and move on or replay the first end (in other words, restart the game) and see where that would take them in terms of scoring.
After minutes of discussion, Canada chose the second option. And it payed off, with the Canadians taking a 4-0 lead in the replayed first end.
“Unusual experience in the start with our rock, so we just decided to replay the end, and it was good,” said Canada’s fourth Jon Thurston. “As a team, we refocused very well and came out and had a very good first and second end.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
