Michelle Stilwell of Canada shows off the Canadian flag after winning gold in the women's 100m T52 finalNathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Veteran Canadian Paralympians Michelle Stilwell and Benoit Huot added Parapan Am gold to their already glittering medal collections on Tuesday.
Wheelchair racer Stilwell won the 100-metre T52 race while star swimmer Hout led a Canadian sweep in the men's 400-metre freestyle S10 class.
The two are among Canada's most decorated para-athletes.
At the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Stilwell was part of Canada's gold-medal winning wheelchair basketball team. Eight years later in Beijing, she won gold in both the 100- and 200-metre wheelchair races. She defended her 200 gold medal in London in 2012 but settled for silver in the 100. She's also a three-time world champion.
Huot has nine Paralympic gold medals along with five silver and five bronze.
The native of Longueuil, Que., who has a club foot, edged teammates Isaac Bouckley of Oshawa, Ont., and Alexander Elliot of Waterloo, Ont., on Tuesday. The gold could be the first of several medals for Huot, who won six at the 2007 Parapans in Brazil.
"I was excited to race," he said. "The first three days were beginning to feel like a long wait."
Fellow Canadian swimmers Katarina Roxon of Kippens, N.L. (women's 100 breaststroke SB8) and Aurelie Rivard, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., (women's 400 freestyle S10) also captured gold to continue Canada's medal haul in the pool.
"I could hear the crowd cheering the last 25 metres," said Roxon. "I just wanted to get to the wall quicker and do it for Canada."
Jonathan Dieleman, the former rodeo rider who broke his back in a dirt-bike accident, earned a silver medal competing in his first major international competition. He was left frustrated by his time of 55.68 seconds in the S3 50 breaststroke.
"I was way faster this morning," said the Vancouver resident, who swam a Parapan record time of 54.57 seconds during the morning heats. "About three quarters of the way down the pool I screwed up on one of my strokes and swallowed a bunch of water. I just couldn't catch up."
Montreal's Jean-Michelle Lavalliere had some anxious moments in the S7 200 individual medley. He finished second in 2:49.12 but it was announced he was disqualified for a non-simultaneous touch. That was later overruled and he was awarded his second silver of the meet.
"I was really happy, then a bit down, then happy again," said the 24-year-old who has cerebral palsy.
Canada picked up a silver and bronze in the S7-8 200 individual medley. Tess Routliffe, of Caledon, Ont., was second in 3:07.23 while Camille Berube, of Gatineau, Que., was third in 3:07.36
Zach Zona, of Waterford, Ont., was third in the S8 200 individual medley in 2:44.76 and Nicolas Turbide, of Quebec City, earned his third medal of the Games when he finished second in the S13 50 freestyle.
Stilwell, a cabinet minister in B.C. Premier Christy Clark's Liberal government, raced to gold in the 100-metre T52 event in 19.58 seconds, edging Americans Kerry Morgan and Cassie Mitchell. Saskatoon's Becky Richter was fourth.
In other early results at the track, Kyle Whitehouse of St. Catharines, Ont., took silver in the men's 100 metres T38 for athletes with cerebral palsy while Rennee Foessel of Mississauga, Ont., won bronze in women's F37/38 javelin.
Through four days of competition Canada sits second in both gold and total medals earned at the Games. The Canadians have 25 gold and 84 medals total medals. Brazil leads with 55 gold and 135 overall.
Canadians won three silver medals in the boccia competition. Hanif Mawji of Burnaby, B.C., was second in the individual BC1 event while Adam Dukovich of London, Ont., took silver in the BC2 competition and Eric Bussiere of Vercheres, Que., lost in the final of the BC3 division.
In boccia — a distant cousin to lawnbowling and bocce — wheelchair athletes try to place the six game balls as close as possible to a white target ball known as the jack. Athletes can push, kick or propel the balls with assistive devices depending on their level of physical mobility.
Both of Canada's wheelchair basketball teams improved to 3-0 in round-robin play. The men edged out Argentina 68-62 while the women toppled Brazil 82-51.
Philippe Bedard and partner Joel Dembe dropped their men's doubles semifinal matchup against Brazil in wheelchair tennis two sets to one.
Also, Canada cruised to a 67-11 victory over Chile in wheelchair rugby to improve to 4-0.Veteran Canadian Paralympians Michelle Stilwell and Benoit Huot added Parapan Am gold to their already glittering medal collections on Tuesday.
Wheelchair racer Stilwell won the 100-metre T52 race while star swimmer Hout led a Canadian sweep in the men's 400-metre freestyle S10 class.
The two are among Canada's most decorated para-athletes.
At the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Stilwell was part of Canada's gold-medal winning wheelchair basketball team. Eight years later in Beijing, she won gold in both the 100- and 200-metre wheelchair races. She defended her 200 gold medal in London in 2012 but settled for silver in the 100. She's also a three-time world champion.
Huot has nine Paralympic gold medals along with five silver and five bronze.
The native of Longueuil, Que., who has a club foot, edged teammates Isaac Bouckley of Oshawa, Ont., and Alexander Elliot of Waterloo, Ont., on Tuesday. The gold could be the first of several medals for Huot, who won six at the 2007 Parapans in Brazil.
"I was excited to race," he said. "The first three days were beginning to feel like a long wait."
Fellow Canadian swimmers Katarina Roxon of Kippens, N.L. (women's 100 breaststroke SB8) and Aurelie Rivard, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., (women's 400 freestyle S10) also captured gold to continue Canada's medal haul in the pool.
"I could hear the crowd cheering the last 25 metres," said Roxon. "I just wanted to get to the wall quicker and do it for Canada."
Jonathan Dieleman, the former rodeo rider who broke his back in a dirt-bike accident, earned a silver medal competing in his first major international competition. He was left frustrated by his time of 55.68 seconds in the S3 50 breaststroke.
"I was way faster this morning," said the Vancouver resident, who swam a Parapan record time of 54.57 seconds during the morning heats. "About three quarters of the way down the pool I screwed up on one of my strokes and swallowed a bunch of water. I just couldn't catch up."
Montreal's Jean-Michelle Lavalliere had some anxious moments in the S7 200 individual medley. He finished second in 2:49.12 but it was announced he was disqualified for a non-simultaneous touch. That was later overruled and he was awarded his second silver of the meet.
"I was really happy, then a bit down, then happy again," said the 24-year-old who has cerebral palsy.
Canada picked up a silver and bronze in the S7-8 200 individual medley. Tess Routliffe, of Caledon, Ont., was second in 3:07.23 while Camille Berube, of Gatineau, Que., was third in 3:07.36
Zach Zona, of Waterford, Ont., was third in the S8 200 individual medley in 2:44.76 and Nicolas Turbide, of Quebec City, earned his third medal of the Games when he finished second in the S13 50 freestyle.
Stilwell, a cabinet minister in B.C. Premier Christy Clark's Liberal government, raced to gold in the 100-metre T52 event in 19.58 seconds, edging Americans Kerry Morgan and Cassie Mitchell. Saskatoon's Becky Richter was fourth.
In other early results at the track, Kyle Whitehouse of St. Catharines, Ont., took silver in the men's 100 metres T38 for athletes with cerebral palsy while Rennee Foessel of Mississauga, Ont., won bronze in women's F37/38 javelin.
Through four days of competition Canada sits second in both gold and total medals earned at the Games. The Canadians have 25 gold and 84 medals total medals. Brazil leads with 55 gold and 135 overall.
Canadians won three silver medals in the boccia competition. Hanif Mawji of Burnaby, B.C., was second in the individual BC1 event while Adam Dukovich of London, Ont., took silver in the BC2 competition and Eric Bussiere of Vercheres, Que., lost in the final of the BC3 division.
In boccia — a distant cousin to lawnbowling and bocce — wheelchair athletes try to place the six game balls as close as possible to a white target ball known as the jack. Athletes can push, kick or propel the balls with assistive devices depending on their level of physical mobility.
Both of Canada's wheelchair basketball teams improved to 3-0 in round-robin play. The men edged out Argentina 68-62 while the women toppled Brazil 82-51.
Philippe Bedard and partner Joel Dembe dropped their men's doubles semifinal matchup against Brazil in wheelchair tennis two sets to one.
Also, Canada cruised to a 67-11 victory over Chile in wheelchair rugby to improve to 4-0.