From a decorated Paralympian claiming his 14th title to maiden medals in Para snowboard, Team Canada made history on the third day of competition in Beijing.
Canadian athletes collected six medals between Sunday night and early Monday, doubling the country’s podium count once again — this time from six to 12.
At 42 years old and taking part in his sixth and final Paralympic Games, Brian McKeever still looks unstoppable.
Joined by guide Russell Kennedy, the Canmore, Alta., native captured his 18th career Paralympic medal, including 14 gold honours, by winning the men’s visually impaired 20-kilometre cross-country race on Monday.
WATCH l McKeever adds a 14th Paralympic gold medal to illustrious career:
Canada’s Brian McKeever claims 14th Paralympic gold medal of his illustrious career
16 hours ago
Duration 7:18
Brian McKeever of Canmore, Alta., won gold in the men’s visually impaired 20-kilometre cross-country event. It’s his 14th career Paralympic gold medal and 18th medal overall. 7:18
And he did it in style: the Canadian’s time of 51 minutes 39.4 seconds was three minutes and 17.7 seconds faster than silver medallist Jake Adicoff of the U.S.
McKeever still has two other podiums to aim for in these Games: the men’s visually impaired sprint event, where the final is set for Wednesday at 1:40 a.m. ET and the men’s visually impaired middle distance race on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
Here’s more of what you missed on Sunday in Beijing:
Putting Canada on the map
It may haven taken three Paralympic Games, as Para snowboard was introduced back in Sochi 2014, but Canada finally has medallists in the sport.
Paralympic rookies Tyler Turner and Lisa DeJong, who claimed gold and silver, respectively, on Day 3 have officially put Canada on the map.
Canada’s Brian McKeever, left, celebrates with guide Russell Kennedy after winning the men’s visually impaired 20-kilometre cross-country race in Zhangjiakou, China on Monday. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Turner, a Campbell River, B.C., native, was nothing short of dominant in the men’s Para snowboard cross SB-LL1 races, capturing Canada’s first-ever Para snowboard title.
Shortly before that, Lisa DeJong, of Biggar, Sask., struck bronze in the women’s Para snowboard cross SB-LL2 race.
WATCH l Turner claims Canada’s 1st-ever Paralympic snowboard title:
Tyler Turner shreds his way to win Canada’s 1st-ever Paralympic snowboard gold medal
14 hours ago
Duration 6:01
Tyler Turner of Campbell River, B.C., dominated the men’s snowboard cross SB-LL1 event to win gold at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics. 6:01
WATCH l DeJong’s bronze hands Canada its 1st-ever Paralympic snowboard medal:
Lisa DeJong delivers Canada’s 1st-ever Paralympic snowboard medal
14 hours ago
Duration 8:02
Lisa DeJong of Biggar, Sask., won the silver medal in the women’s snowboard cross SB-LL2 race at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics. 8:02
Double podium in Para cross-country skiing
Para snowboard wasn’t the only sport to give Canada two medals on Day 3 in Beijing.
Natalie Wilkie, of Salmon Arm, B.C., and Brittany Hudak, of Prince Albert, Sask., claimed the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the women’s visually impaired 15km cross-country skiing race.
Teammate Emily Young finished just off the podium in fifth.
Tyler Turner of Campbell River, B.C., put on a gold medal performance in the men’s snowboard cross SB-LL1 events final at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China, on Monday. (Peter Cziborra/Reuters)
Wilkie, now 21 years old, was the youngest Canadian in PyeongChang 2018 when she came back with three medals, while the 28-year-old Hudak’s bronze represents her second medal over three Paralympic Games so far.
WATCH l Canadians Wilkie, Hudak ski to Paralympic gold, bronze medals:
Canadians Wilkie and Hudak ski to Paralympic gold and bronze medals
15 hours ago
Duration 2:24
Natalie Wilkie won gold and Brittany Hudak won bronze in the women’s standing 15-kilometre cross-country skiing at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics. 2:24
Ramsay grabs 2nd medal in Beijing
It’s back-to-back medals for Canada’s Alana Ramsay.
The Calgary native, fresh off placing third in the women’s standing Para alpine super-G on Day 2, added another bronze to her name in the women’s standing super combined alpine event on Day 3.
Ramsay, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and had to overcome a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis following a crash in 2019, had the fourth-best time in both super-G and slalom portions of the race, combining for a time of two minutes 6.33 seconds.
WATCH l Calgary’s Ramasy claims 2nd bronze at Beijing Paralympics:
Calgary’s Alana Ramsay collects 2nd bronze medal at Beijing Paralympics
5 hours ago
Duration 3:27
Alana Ramsay collected her second medal of the Beijing Paralympics on Monday, winning bronze in the women’s standing super combined alpine event. Ramsay also won bronze a day earlier in the super-G race. 3:27
The 27-year-old also claimed bronze in both events in PyeongChang 2018, maintaining her spot among the sport’s elite four years later.
Mollie Jepsen of West Vancouver, B.C., who won gold four years ago, didn’t finish the slalom portion of the event, therefore not showing up in the standings.
But it wasn’t all celebratory for Canada on Day 3.
Mac Marcoux, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has been ruled out of the remainder of the Beijing Paralympics with a lower-body injury sustained in a Sunday super-G crash, the Canadian Paralympic Committee confirmed Monday.
The six-time Paralympic medallist, who earned the silver medal in the the men’s visually impaired downhill race on Day 1, had already missed the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships in January due to a back injury.
Canada’s Brittany Hudak, Emily Young, and Natalie Wilkie (left-right) all cracked the top four in the women’s standing Para cross-country skiing race in Zhangjiakou, China on Sunday. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
On another low note for Canadian athletes, four-time Paralympian Mark Arendz saw his podium streak come to an end.
After going six for six for podiums in PyeongChang 2018 and setting a Canadian record for most medals in a single Winter Paralympics, Arendz added another medal to his name with a bronze in men’s 6km standing biathlon sprint on Day 1 in Beijing.
The Hartsville, P.E.I, native, however, finished fourth in the standing 20km classical technique cross-country event on Monday, missing the podium by 14.2 seconds.
Arendz also claimed two medals in Sochi 2014.
Canada finally loses in wheelchair curling
The Canadian wheelchair curling team was defeated for the first time at the Beijing Paralympics with a 6-3 loss to Sweden in round-robin play.
Canada’s win streak to start the competition ends at four, after victories over the U.S., Latvia, Switzerland, and defending Paralympic champions China in the opening draw.
Canadian co-flag-bearer Ina Forrest, Mark Ideson, Dennis Thiessen and Jon Thurston return to the ice against South Korea on Monday at 8.30 p.m. ET, before a matchup against Slovakia on Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. ET.
WATCH l Canada remains undefeated in wheelchair curling after victory over Americans:
Canada remains undefeated in wheelchair curling after victory over Americans
13 hours ago
Duration 0:50
Canada scored a triple in the fourth end, and they continued their winning ways with a 7-4 victory over the United to improve to 4-0 in round-robin play at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics. 0:50
Here’s a quick look at other Day 3 Beijing events:
Canada’s Mark Arendz placed fourth in the standing 20km classical technique cross-country event on Monday, putting an end to a seven-podium streak in the Paralympics that spanned back to PyeongChang 2018. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Para alpine skier Giacomo Bertagnolli handed Italy its first gold medal in the 2022 Paralympics in the men’s super combined super-G at Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre on Monday. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Henrieta Farkasova, of Slovakia, successfully defended her women’s vision-impaired super combined title from PyeongChang 2018 for her 11th overall Paralympic gold medal. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
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.
