Paralympic wake-up call: Canadian races to bronze on track with lifetime-best performance | CBC Sports

Gingras was overcome with emotion at the end of the race and draped with the Canadian flag. He told CBC Sports’s Devin Heroux, who was at the track, that he wished his parents could have been there to see it.

He adds the achievement to a silver won at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima. 

Fellow Canadian Marissa Papaconstantinou raced shortly after and nearly had a bronze medal herself before being passed in the final seconds of a strong race, placing fifth. 

Here’s more of what you missed on Tuesday in Tokyo: 

A near-podium result as road cycling begins

Cycling hit the roads of Tokyo on Tuesday, with 57 medals up for grabs on the first day of competition alone. 

In the women’s C4 time trial, Canada’s Keely Shaw almost earned another medal at these Games with her fourth-place finish — the highest a Canadian cyclist placed in Tokyo on Tuesday. 

She shared her goals on Twitter after the race:

1. Have fun on bikes
2. Leave my heart and soul on the course

“Above goals were definitely achieved, but can’t say I’m not disappointed to be just off the podium. As they say: ‘life is like riding a [bike.] In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving,'” she wrote.

Two other notables from the road cycling competition: Great Britain’s Sarah Storey was the first to clinch a gold medal in the women’s events. She upped her medal tally in the C5 time trial, winning a 16th Paralympic gold medal. 

Meanwhile, Guyana had its first-ever Paralympian compete in the men’s C5 time trial race. Walter Grant-Stuart raced the 32-kilometre course to finish in 13th place.  

Canada loses quarters to rival U.S.

There were heavy Canadian hearts on the court after a quarter-final loss in wheelchair basketball to the United States on Tuesday. 

The women’s team was unable to get baskets to fall as much as their American counterparts, who beat them 63-48 to move on to the semifinals. 

WATCH | Canada beaten by United States in women’s wheelchair basketball:

Canada ousted in women’s wheelchair basketball quarter-finals with loss to USA

Canada was defeated 63-48 by the United States in the quarter-finals of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. 1:15

It means the Canadians, with ambitions of finding the podium in Tokyo for the first time since 2004, are out of medal contention.

But they leave behind strong performances in Japan and have one more game to determine whether they’ll place in fifth or sixth. 

Afghan athlete competes in Tokyo

It wasn’t clear whether Paralympians from Afghanistan would be able to compete at the Games. But on Tuesday, Afghan athlete Hossain Rasouli took to the National Stadium to compete in the men’s T47 long jump. 

Rasouli and his other teammate, Zakia Khudadadi, had been recently evacuated to France, after Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Though Rasouli missed the sprint event — his forte — he was still able to compete in Tokyo. He finished last in 13th place in the long jump, but recorded a personal best of 4.46 metres. 

Mexican swimmer on top of the world after 17 years

It’s been 17 years since Arnulfo Castorena of Mexico had a Paralympic gold in the men’s SB2 50-metre breaststroke  — and 21 years since he won it the first time. 

Now he’s done it again. 

At age 41, the reigning world champion completed his comeback by winning the gold in Tokyo. The Mexican swimmer raced to the finish in a time of 59.25 seconds.

He raised a fist in the pool in triumph, back on top of the world.