The last year or so has been a coming-out party for Austin Smeenk.
His bronze medal performance Monday morning in Paris might mean that the party is just getting started.
“The atmosphere here is electric. Racing in front of a crowd is always fun. Everybody from Canada is here with me, in my heart, and even more the people who are here, watching in person, who have contributed so much,” Smeenk said.
Smeenk broke through for his first Paralympic medal, taking bronze in the men’s T34 100 metres, racing to a time of 15.19 seconds.
“It’s fantastic. It feels good to break the ice with my first Paralympic podium. It means that the culmination of all the yesterdays have finally come to fruition today,” he said.
Last July, Smeenk was a co-captain of the Canadian contingent at the World Para Athletics Championships. Coincidentally those Championships were also hosted in Paris. Being thrust into a new position of leadership also increased his profile at the competition, and the heightened expectations that come with it.
Smeenk rose to the challenge, earning his first two World Para Athletics Championships medals – silver in the T34 100 metres and bronze in the T34 400 metres.
This season, Smeenk has taken to an all-new level. This summer, he has set new world records in T34 400 metres and T34 800 metres. With those two races still to come in Paris, Smeenk has the chance to keep this party going into a week-long Parisian fête.
“I’m satisfied with the result of today, that I got on the podium for the first time at the Paralympics,” Smeenk said. “There’s still room to grow. There are two more steps to climb on that podium, so I’m going to see what I can accomplish the rest of the week, in the events I have left.”
Lakatos Misses Out on Final
A day after his silver medal performance, Brent Lakatos was 8th in his men’s T54 1500 metre heat. His time of 2:59.19 did not allow him to advance to tomorrow’s final.
Lakatos spent the majority of the race towards the back, waiting for an opportunity to make his move into the top 5 and book a spot in the final. He made that move with about a lap to go, but could not reel in enough of the field to move on.
“My arms were tired tonight, and I just didn’t have it. I planned on coming out and going at 500 metres. I did that, but they didn’t last,” Lakatos said. “The arms were tired, so I think these two days off will be good for my 800 metres.”
Tomorrow at Paris 2024
Even though the Labou Day long weekend is wrapping up tonight, you may want to take tomorrow off, too. Canadians are competing in up to five event finals and you do not want to miss a single one.
Cody Fournie races in the men’s T51 200 metre final in the wee hours of the morning in Canada. He is joined in the morning session with qualifier rounds for teammates Marissa Papaconstantinou (T64 200 metres), Bianca Borgella (T13 100 metres) and Sheriauna Haase (T47 100 metres).
The evening session could feature Papaconstantinou, Borgella and Haase in the finals of their events. Zach Gingras is looking to add to his Paralympic medal collection on Tuesday, racing in the same event in which he secured Paralympic bronze in Tokyo (T38 400 metres).
Athletics Canada’s Paris Headquarters
Watching your athletics team take on the world is serious business.
You’ve need one place that gives you day-by-day Canadian athlete schedules, results in real time, the full Canadian roster and bios, historical stats to help you sound more like an expert, as well as direct access to all your broadcast and streaming options.
Go to our Paris 2024 Homepage, bookmark it, comeback every day and you will be ahead of the Games.
Get social with team Canada and see exclusive photos and videos of Canada’s Paralympic team on Athletics Canada’s Instagram, Facebook, X, and Tik Tok accounts.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Caroline Sharp
National Teams Communications Specialist
Athletics Canada
WhatsApp: (613) 323-5605 / Cell: (214) 601-8024
E: Caroline.Sharp@athletics.ca