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PARIS PARALYMPIC RECAP

August 28, 2024

DAY TEN– SEPTEMBER 7, 2024

Historic bronze for Kozun, Canadian Sitting Volleyball

The Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team, featuring Melfort’s Julie Kozun, concluded their time in Paris with a historic 3-0 victory over Brazil to claim Canada’s first medal in the sport, a bronze.

For the second time at the Paralympic Games, Canada faced Brazil after losing to them in round robin play. In the battle for bronze, Canada brought the heat and took the first set 25-15 as well as the second 25-18.

In the third set, Brazil was able to tie the score on a few occasions, but in the end, Canada took the set 25-18 and the game.

Kozun tallied five points in the match.

Newkirk shines in bronze

Shelby Newkirk, who hails from Saskatoon, swam to claim a bronze medal in the women’s S6 100-metre backstroke with a time of 1:22.24 seconds

Earlier in the morning, Newkirk finished third in the S6 100-m backstroke heat with a time of 1:24.72 and qualified for finals.

Canada finishes fourth

For Canada’s final day on the wheelchair basketball court, Regina duo Nik Gocin and Garrett Ostepchuk joined the men’s team for the bronze medal game against Germany.

Ostepchuk put Canada on the scoreboard early in the first quarter, with Canada closing the first half leading 35-27. By the end of the third quarter, Germany caught up to a one-point difference, before officially taking the lead early in the last quarter.

Canda was unable to make up the difference before the clock ran out and Germany took the 75-62 win.

Patrick Anderson led the Canadians with 31 points, while Goncin added 10 points and Ostepchuk scored four.

Ouellette’s final swim

Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette had her final competition in the swimming lanes for the women’s SM5 200-m individual medley heat, where she finished in 10th place with a time of 4:29.42 seconds.

Olympic Notes: On the Para athletics track it was a gold medal performance for Austin Smeenk in the men’s T34 800-m race…Brianna Hennessy secured silver in the women’s 200-m VL2 Va’a singles Para canoe event…Nate Richie won silver in the men’s T38 1500-m race…Julie Kozun and the women’s sitting volleyball team earned bronze…in the pool, Danielle Dorris finished top of the podium for gold in the women’s 50-m butterfly…Shelby Newkirk claimed bronze in the women’s S6 100-m backstroke…Canada’s medal count: 27 (10 Gold, 9 Silver, 10 Bronze).

DAY NINE – SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

Ouellette back in the pool

Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette returned to the pool after a break in her competition schedule and placed 11th in the women’s S5 50-metre butterfly heat with a time of 56.87 seconds. She did not advance to finals.

Ouellette will now look ahead to her final Paralympic event in the women’s SM5 200-m individual medley heat on September 7.

Shaw’s final race

Para cyclist Keely Shaw has concluded her time in Paris following her final race in the C4-5 road event.

Shaw, who hails from Midale, finished in 15th place with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 28 seconds.

Rousell eliminated from Round of 32

Asquith wheelchair fencer, Ryan Rousell wrapped up his second Paralympic Games on Day 9, following his 15-6 loss against Ukraine’s Artem Manko in the men’s Group A Épée Round of 32.

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Saturday Sept. 7 marks the last day of competition for Saskatchewan athletes and will feature three athletes fighting to medal with their respective teams and two Para swimmers in their final event.

Shelby Newkirk, of Saskatoon, will hit the pool one last time to compete in the women’s S6 100-m backstroke heat event at 1:57 a.m. Sask time. Depending on her results, she may advance to finals later in the morning at 9:53 a.m.

Fellow Saskatoon Para swimmer, Hannah Ouellette will also be in the swimming lanes for her final event in the women’s SM5 200-m individual medley heat at 3:25 a.m. SK time. Finals will take place later in the day at 12:02 p.m.

The Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team and Melfort’s Julie Kozun will face Brazil in a fight for the bronze medal at 7:00 a.m. Sask time.

Regina wheelchair basketball players, Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk will join Team Canada on the court for the final time, as they play against Germany for bronze at 8:00 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

Paralympic Notes: Sebastian Massabie’s gold medal performance set a world record in the men’s S4 50-m Para swimming event…Cody Fournie finished top of the podium in the men’s T51 100-m Para athletics event…Para swimmer Reid Maxwell is shining in silver for his Paralympic debut in the men’s S8 400-m freestyle event…Canada’s medal count: 23 (8 gold, 7 silver, 8 bronze).

DAY EIGHT – SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

Ens, Newkirk join mixed relay

In an early morning race, Nikita Ens and Shelby Newkirk came together to join two other Canadian Para swimmers in the mixed 4×50-metre medley replay – 20 points heat.

The team finished sixth overall in their heat with a time of 3:19.79 seconds and did not advance to finals.

Canadian men to play for wheelchair basketball bronze

The rivalry of North America was on display in men’s wheelchair basketball on Day Eight of the Paralympics, as Canada took on the United States in semifinals

With a spot in the gold-medal game on the line, Canada held a one-point lead after the first quarter before falling 40-32 at halftime.

Unable to reclaim the lead from the United States in the second half, Canada fell 80-43.

Patrick Anderson led Canada with 16 points, while Regina’s Garrett Ostepchuk had scored 10 points and co-captain Nik Goncin, who is also from Regina, added two points.

The Canadians will look ahead to the bronze-medal game against Germany on Sept. 7.

Canada falls in sitting volleyball semifinal

Semifinal action has come and gone for Canada’s women’s sitting volleyball team and Melfort’s Julie Kozun following their 3-0 loss to China.

The match started with China dominating the court in the first set, leading to Canada’s 25-16 defeat. In the second set, Canada turned up the heat and brought the score within three points but was still unable to claim victory and fell 25-22. The third and final set had similar results to the first, with China defeating Canada 25-18.

Kozun claimed four points.

Canada will face Brazil on Sept. 7, as the two battle it out for bronze.

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Saskatoon Para swimmer, Hannah Ouelette will be back in the pool for her third individual event in the women’s 50-m butterfly S5 heat on Sept. 6 at 1:53 a.m. Saskatchewan time. If she advances, she’ll move on to semifinals later in the morning at 9:59 a.m.

In his second and final event of the Games, Asquith’s Ryan Rousell will compete in the men’s wheelchair fencing Group A Épée Round of 32 on Sept. 6 at 2:10 a.m. SK time. Repechage, playoffs and finals will take place later in the same day.

And Para cyclist Keely Shaw, who hails from Midale, will race for the final time in Paris as she is set to compete in the C4-5 Road Race at 1:35 a.m. SK time.

Paralympic Notes: Para swimmer, Aurelie Rivard had a golden performance in the women’s S10 400-metre freestyle event and claimed gold…Brent Lakatos raced his way to gold in the men’s 800-m T53 event… Tess Routliffe secured bronze in the women’s SB7 100-m breaststroke…Canada’s medal count: 20 (6 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze).

DAY SEVEN- SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

Newkirk in the pool again

This morning, Shelby Newkirk was back in the swimming lanes for the S7 100-metre freestyle heat event, finishing in 11th place with a time of 1:15.38 seconds.

The Saskatoon Para swimmer did not advance to finals and will now turn her attention to her final event in the S6 100-m backstroke heat on Sept. 7.

Shaw races on the road

Midale’s Keely Shaw had her first race of the Paralympic Games off the track for the C4 Road Individual Time Trial.

Shaw finished fifth overall with a 22:09.19 seconds time and will look ahead to her final event in Paris on Sept. 6 for the C4-5 road race.

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

After a one-day break in competition, Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk will join the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team back on the court for their semifinal match against the United States on Sept. 5 at 13:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time.

In another semifinal game, sitting volleyball player Julie Kozun, who hails from Melfort, will join Canada’s women’s team as they face China on Sept. 5 at 12:00 p.m. SK time.

Paralympic Notes: Canada added two more gold medals to their tally, one from Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett in the men’s SM14 200-m individual medley and the other from Greg Stewart in the men’s F46 shot put…Para cyclist Nathan Clement is shining in silver after his second-place finish in the men’s T1-2 individual time trial…a second silver was claimed by Para swimmer Reid Maxwell in the men’s S8 400-m freestyle…Canada’s medal count: 17 (4 gold, 6 silver, 7 bronze).

DAY SIX- SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

Canada off to semifinals with Goncin and Ostepchuk

In quarterfinal action, the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team brought the heat and secured a spot in semifinals after defeating the Netherlands 79-67.

Canada played a close game against their opponents in the first quarter. With ten seconds left on the clock, Regina’s Nik Goncin scored two points and helped Canada close the gap to 19-18, with Regina’s Garrett Ostepchuk assisting.

Momentum shifted in favour of Canada in the second quarter, as they took the lead 44-29 after scoring 26 points. The Netherlands were unable to make up the difference for the remainder of the game, with Canada taking the final two point shot of the game and the win.

Canada’s Patrick Anderson led both teams with 20 total points, while Goncin added 16 points and four rebounds and Ostepchuk secured six points and three rebounds.

Canada will look ahead to their semifinal game against the United States on September 5.

Rousell wraps Sabre event in wheelchair fencing

Ryan Rousell, who hails from Asquith, began his competition in Paris in the men’s Category A Sabre event.

In his first bout of the day, Rousell fell 15-7 against Ukraine’s Artem Manko in the Table 16 event and moved onto the Repechage Round 1, where he dominated 15-4 against Brazil’s Lenilson de Oliveira.

Rousell finished 11th overall after falling 15-5 against Italy’s Edoardo Giordan in the Repechage Round 2.

His time in Paris is not over, as Rousell is set to compete in the men’s Épée Category A Table 32 event on September 6.

Ens concludes time at Paralympics

Nikita Ens’ time in Paris for the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games has come to an end.

The Meadow Lake local finished eighth in the women’s S3 100-metre freestyle heat with a 2:34.14 seconds time, missing out on qualifying for finals.

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Shelby Newkirk, of Saskatoon, will return to the pool for her second individual event of the Games in the women’s S7 100-m freestyle heats at 3:10 a.m. Saskatchewan time on Sept. 4.  Finals will take place later in the morning at 11:29 a.m.

Leaving the track behind, Para cyclist Keely Shaw of Midale will now compete in two road events, starting with the C4 Individual Time Trial on Sept. 4 at 12:14 a.m. SK time.

Paralympic Notes: Canada’s second gold medal has been claimed by Cody Fournie in the men’s 100-m T51 Para athletics event with a 37.64 second time…Para swimmer Katie Cosgriffe swam to bronze in the women’s S10 100-m butterfly with a 1:07.22 second time…Canada’s medal count: 13 (2 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze).

DAY FIVE – SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

Goncin, Ostepchuk advance to quarterfinals

The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball, including Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, are heading to the quarterfinals at the Paralympic Games in Paris, thanks to a 68-52 victory over Germany on Sept. 2.

The two teams battled back-and-forth in the first quarter, but Canada ended up on top at the intermission 16-11. From there, Canada started pulling away, outscoring the Germans 21-13 and 27-18 in the second and third quarters, respectively. Germany outscored Canada 10-4 in the final ten minutes, but it was too little too late.

Patrick Anderson led the Canadian squad with 17 points, while Goncin added eight points and nine rebounds and Ostepchuk chipped in five points and two rebounds.

With the win, Canada wraps up the round robin with a 2-1 record and will face the Netherlands in the first round of playoffs on Sept. 3 at 8:00 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

Canada defeats Rwanda in sitting volleyball

Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team are sweeping into playoffs after defeating Rwanda 3-0 (25-14, 25-17 and 25-13) in their final round robin game on Day Five of the Paralympics.

Kozun contributed 12 points to the Canadian victory.

Canada, with a 2-1 round robin record, will now move onto the semifinals on Sept. 3. Their opponent is still to be determined.

Ens competes in first Paris event

Two-time Paralympian Nikita Ens of Meadow Lake competed in her first Para swimming event in Paris on Sept. 2, the women’s S3 50-metre backstroke.

Ens finished fifth in her heat with a time of 1:13.44 seconds and didn’t advance to finals.

She still has one more event to go at the Games, the women’s S3 100-m freestyle, on Sept. 3 at 2:59 a.m. SK time.

Newkirk teams up for relay

Saskatoon Para swimmer Shelby Newkirk joined in for her first relay event on Sept. 2, racing in the Mixed 4×100-m Medley Relay – 34 points.

The Canadians finished the finals in eighth place with a time of 4:50.00. Canada advanced to the finals after also finishing eighth in the heats with a time of 4:46.82.

Paralympic Notes: Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett claimed his second medal and Canada’s first gold, finishing first in the men’s SB14 100-m breaststroke…Austin Smeenk won bronze in the Para athletics men’s T34 100-m race…Leanne Taylor, who has spent time training in Regina, won bronze in the women’s Para triathlon…Canada’s medal count: 11 (1 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze).

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Meadow Lake’s Nikita Ens will compete in her second event of the Paralympics, the heats for the women’s S3 100-m freestyle at 2:59 a.m. SK time on Sept. 3. Finals will be held later in the day at 11:28 a.m.

Asquith wheelchair fencer Ryan Rousell will be competing in the men’s Category A Sabre event on Sept. 3 at 5:00 a.m. in the Round of 32. Repechage, playoffs and finals will also take place on the same day.

The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball game, featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, are taking on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Sept. 3 at 8:00 a.m.

DAY FOUR – SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

Wassermann wraps up Paralympics

After three races in three days, Para rower Jacob Wassermann has come to the end of his first Paralympic Games.

Competing in Final B of the men’s PR1 Single Sculls on Day 4, the Humboldt product finished in fourth place with a time of 11:58.90 seconds.

Paralympic notes: Para swimmer Aurelie Rivard earned Canada’s a silver medal in the women’s S10 100-metre freestyle…Brent Lakatos captured Canada’s first Paris medal in Para athletics in the men’s T53 400-m race…Canada’s medal count: 8 (0 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze).

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Saskatoon Para swimmer Nikita Ens will be competing in her first of two events on Sept. 2, the women’s S3 50-metre backstroke preliminaries at 2:16 a.m. Saskatchewan time. The final for the event will take place later in the day at 10:05 a.m.

The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team, featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, will be back on the court for their final round robin game against Germany on Sept. 2 at 8:05 a.m. SK time.

Also returning to action will be the women’s sitting volleyball team and Melfort’s Julie Kozun. They’ll take on Rwanda in their last round robin game at 10:00 a.m. SK time.

DAY THREE – AUGUST 31, 2024

Men’s wheelchair basketball team falls to Great Britain

Canada fell behind early in their men’s wheelchair basketball game against Great Britain on Aug. 31 and was never able to recover, eventually falling 88-58.

The Canadians made 24 of their attempted 57 baskets, whereas the British team sunk 37 of 66.

Colin Higgins topped the scoresheet for Canada, recording 14 points, while Regina’s Nik Goncin added eight points and Regina’s Garrett Ostepchuk scored four points.

The loss drops Canada to a 1-1 at the Paralympics and they’ll wrap up round robin play on Sept. 2 against Germany.

Brazil tops Canada in sitting volleyball

The Canadian women’s sitting volleyball, featuring Melfort’s Julie Kozun, are now 1-1 at the Paralympics after falling to Brazil 3-1 on Day 3 of the Games.

Brazil took the first two sets 25-20 and 25-21, as well as the fourth set 25-19, with Canada winning the third set 25-23.

Kozun tallied four points in the match.

Canada will wrap up their round robin play on Monday against Rwanda.

Wassermann to compete in Final B

Para rower Jacob Wassermann competed for the second time at the Paralympics on Aug. 31, the men’s PR1 Single Sculls repechage round.

The Humboldt product finished fourth in his heat with a time of 11:28.11 seconds and will now race for the last time in Paris when he competes in Final B on Sept. 1 at 1:50 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

Renneberg makes Paralympic debut

Ashlyn Renneberg’s first Paralympics are officially in the books after the Saskatoon local competed in the women’s F13 javelin throw on Day 3 of the Games, her lone event.

Renneberg threw for a distance of 30.93-metres on her third throw, which secured her seventh place.

Paralympic notes: Canada claimed two silver medals in the pool, with Nicholas Bennett finishing second in the men’s S14 200-m freestyle and Tess Routliffe doing the same in the women’s SM7 200-m individual medley.

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Para rower Jacob Wassermann will be the lone Saskatchewan athlete competing on Day 4 of the Paralympics on Sept. 1, racing in the men’s PR1 Single Sculls at 1:50 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

DAY TWO – AUGUST 30, 2024

Shaw captures second career Paralympic bronze

It was a repeat performance for Para cyclist Keely Shaw in Paris as she claimed bronze in the women’s C4 3,000-metre individual pursuit on Day Two of the Paralympics. Shaw, who hails from Midale, won bronze in the same event in Tokyo 2020.

Racing in the event’s qualifier, Shaw finished third with a time of 3:44.012 seconds to advance to the bronze-medal final, which she won with a time of 3:46.942 seconds.

That brings an end to Shaw’s track cycling events at the Games. She’ll now have a bit of a break before getting back to the action with road events starting Sept. 4.

Goncin, Ostepchuk help Canada to victory

The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team netted a win in their first game of the Paralympics, defeating France 83-68.

Canada led 26-20 after the first quarter, but the French were able to battle back and take the lead 41-39 at the halfway point.

Not to be deterred, the Canadian team, with the help of Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, dominated the second half, outscoring France 44-27 on the way to victory.

Colin Higgins led the Canadian squad with 38 points, while Ostepchuk had six points and Goncin added two points and two rebounds.

Canada will be back in action on Aug. 31, taking on Great Britain at 4:45 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

Check out Nik Goncin’s latest blog on Cheeronsask.ca detailing Canada’s journey to the Games and what is expectations for his third Paralympics are.

Wassermann makes Paralympic debut

Para rower Jacob Wassermann of Humboldt competed in his first Paralympics on Day Two of the Games, racing in the men’s PR1 Single Sculls qualifier.

Wasserman finished the event in sixth place in his heat with a time of 11:22.35 seconds and will next compete in the repechage round on Aug. 31 at 2:10 a.m. SK time. In that event, the top two finishers in either of the heats will move on to Final A, while the remaining rowers will compete in Final B.

Ouellette teams up for relay

Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette joined forces with three other Canadian Para swimmers to compete in the Mixed 4×50-m Freestyle Relay – 20 points, her second event in Paris.

The team finished tenth overall in their heat with a time of 3:14.93 seconds and did not advance to finals.

This was the first time Canada has ever entered a team for this relay event at a Paralympic Games.

Paralympic Notes: In addition to Shaw’s medal, Para cyclist Alexandre Hayward also captured bronze in the men’s C3 3,000-m Individual Pursuit…Canada’s medal count: 4 (0 gold, 0 silver, 4 bronze).

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Saskatoon’s Ashlyn Renneberg will make her Paralympic debut on Aug. 31 at 2:00 a.m. SK time, competing in the F13 javelin throw.

Jacob Wasserman of Humboldt will get a second shot at advancing to Final A in the men’s PR1 Single Sculls when he competes in the repechage round on Aug. 31 at 2:10 a.m. SK time.

There’s no rest for the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, as the squad competes in their second round robin game against Great Britain on Aug. 31 at 4:45 a.m. SK time.

Following a one-day break, Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team will be back on the court to take on Brazil on Aug. 31 at 12:00 p.m. SK time in their second game of the round robin.

DAY ONE – AUGUST 29, 2024

Kozun, Canada defeat Slovenia

It was a dominant opening performance for Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team as they defeated Slovenia in three straight sets 25-11, 25-21 and 25-12 to earn their first win at the Paralympics.

Kozun recorded two of Canada’s 17 aces in the match, adding to the five other points she tallied in the victory.

Round robin play continues on August 31 with Canada taking on Brazil at 12:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time.

Shaw competes in first event

Midale’s Keely Shaw took part in her first of four Para cycling events on Day 1 of the Paralympics, the women’s C4-5 500-metre track time trial, where she finished 10th overall.

Competing in the qualifying round, Shaw finished with a time of 40.431 seconds. She did not advance to the final round.

Shaw will stay on the track for her next event, the women’s C4 3000-m individual pursuit on August 30 at 4:15 a.m. SK time. She claimed a bronze medal in the same event at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Ouellette makes Paralympic debut

Attending her first Paralympic Games, Saskatoon Para swimmer Hannah Ouellette took part in the women’s S5 200-m freestyle on Day 1.

Ouellette swam a time of 4:03.57 seconds to finish 19th overall and did not advance to the finals.

She’ll have two more events at this year’s Games, the women’s S5 50-m butterfly and the women’s SM5 200-m individual medley.

Newkirk fourth in opening event

In her second Paralympics, Shelby Newkirk finished fourth in the final of the women’s S6 50-m freestyle event with a time of 34.08 seconds.

Newkirk, who hails from Saskatoon and is competing in three events at the Games, qualified for the final by finishing the heats with the fourth-fastest time, 34.15 seconds.

Two more events await Newkirk during the Games, the women’s S7 100-m freestyle and the women’s S6 100-m backstroke.

Paralympic notes: For the second Paralympics in a row, Canada’s first medal was captured by a Para cyclist, as Katie O’Brien won bronze in the women’s C4-C5 500-m track time trial…Aurelie Rivard claimed her 11th Paralympic medal, winning bronze in the women’s S10 50-m freestyle… Canada’s medal count: 2 (0 gold, 0 silver, 2 bronze).

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition

Humboldt’s Jacob Wassermann will make his Paralympic debut on Day 2 of the Paralympics as he competes in the men’s PR1 single sculls heats, starting at 2:10 a.m. SK time.

Keely Shaw of Midale will compete in her second event in Paris on August 30, the women’s C4 track 3000-m individual pursuit. The qualifier will take place at 4:11 a.m. SK time, with the final to follow at 7:22 a.m.

The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team, featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, will play their first game on August 30, taking on the host France at 10:15 a.m. SK time.

OPENING CEREMONY – AUGUST 28, 2024

The Paralympics in Paris have officially begun! 

Led by flag bearers Patrick Anderson, a six-time Paralympian with the men’s wheelchair basketball team, and Para swimmer Katarina Roxon, who is attending her fifth Games, Team Canada paraded from Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde. 

Over the next 11 days, Canada’s 126 athletes will battle to reach the top of the podium and become Paralympic champions. 

Upcoming Saskatchewan competition 

In the pool, Saskatoon’s Shelby Newkirk will compete in her first of several events in Paris, the women’s S6 50-metre freestyle at 3:03 a.m. Saskatchewan time. Finals are scheduled for later in the morning at 11:17 a.m. SK time, should she advance. 

Also in the pool, Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette will make her Paralympic debut, competing in the women’s S5 200-m freestyle at 3:52 a.m. SK time. Finals for this event are the same day, at 12:40 p.m. SK time, if she advances. 

Midale’s Para cyclist Keely Shaw, who captured Canada’s first medal in Tokyo 2020, will race in the women’s C4-5 500-m track time trial qualifying round at 4 a.m. SK time, with the finals to follow at 7:45 a.m. SK time. 

Meanwhile, Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team will begin the Paralympics with round robin action against Slovenia, starting at 10 a.m. Saskatchewan time.