May 4, 2021
Rylan Wiens captures bronze and a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for Canada
In a terrific performance at the FINA Diving World Cup in Tokyo, Rylan Wiens had what he’s calling “probably the best event of my life,” as he set a personal best, claimed bronze and secured a spot for Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Saskatoon diver, who was accompanied by his coach Mary Carroll, accumulated 488.55 points over six dives in the men’s 10-metre platform final on Tuesday, May 4. This after finishing the preliminary round in ninth and the semifinal round in 10th.
The result gives Canada its second and final spot at in the men’s 10m event for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Who will represent Canada in those two spots is still to be determined.
Read more about Rylan’s performance at Olympic.ca
Watch Rylan’s final six dives on CBC.
Shooting coach Lisa Borgerson is Tokyo bound
Rockglen’s Lisa Borgerson has been selected to accompany women’s 10-metre air pistol athlete Lynda Kiejko —the lone member of Canada’s shooting team— at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Borgerson previously coached the Canadian team at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
Pools announced for Tokyo wheelchair rugby competition
While a roster is still be announced for the Tokyo Paralympic Games, the Canadian wheelchair rugby team and Regina hopeful Britt Mayer knows who they’ll face in the preliminary round after the pool information was announced on April 28.
Canada, who is ranked fifth in the world going into the Games, is in Pool B along with the second-ranked and 2016 Paralympic silver medalists Team USA, No. 4 Great Britain and No. 8 New Zealand.
Pool A consists of the top-ranked and defending Paralympic gold medalists Australia, No. 3 Japan —who defeated Canada in the bronze medal game at the 2016 Games — No. 6 France and No. 7 Denmark.
Wheelchair rugby is scheduled to take play August 25-29. A full competition schedule will be released at a later date.
Read the announcement at wheelchairrugby.ca.
Paralympic wheelchair basketball schedule to be announced May 12
It will be an early morning for Canadian wheelchair basketball fans on May 12 as the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) is set to announce the official draws for the men’s and women’s basketball teams for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at 6:30 a.m. EST (4:30 a.m. SK time).
Both the men’s and women’s team qualified for Tokyo after medal-winning performances at the 2019 Parapan Am Games. The women earned gold, while the men claimed silver.
Regina’s Nik Goncin was a member the of Parapan Am men’s team and Prince Albert’s Erica Gavel played with the women’s team. Both are hopefuls for their respective team’s Tokyo roster.