Canadian Paralympic Committee – Sept. 14, 2016 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Canada hit the 20-medal mark in spectacular fashion Wednesday with a six-medal spectacle – its best day yet at the Paralympic Games.

Five medals were earned in the para-cycling time trials and para-swimmer Katarina Roxon of Kippens, N.L., soared to her first career Paralympic Games gold.

Roxon battled from behind to win the S8 100-metre breaststroke in an Americas record time of one minute, 19.44 seconds. An emotional Roxon shed tears of joy after winning her first medal in three Paralympic appearances.

“It’s been three years coming,” said the 23-year-old who was born missing her left arm below the elbow. “At first I didn’t want to look (at the scoreboard). I knew I was going to be happy with how I did. When I saw first, I was so shocked.”

It was Canada’s fifth swimming medal – three gold, two silver – of the Paralympics. Overall Canada has 20 medals (6-9-5) for 13^th place overall in the country rankings.

Before Roxon’s heroics, Canadian para-cyclists had a medal bonanza on the first day of road competition.

Tristen Chernove of Cranbrook, B.C., won gold in the 20 kilometre men’s C2 race, finishing with a time of 27 minutes and 43.16 seconds.  It is Chernove’s third medal, after winning silver and bronze in the cycling track competition.

“I felt pretty good and I enjoyed the whole race,” said Chernove.  “You only get these moments so often in life, and I wanted to have a positive outlook and be in the moment, and not let the anxieties or pressures get to me.  That really happened today, and that made all the difference.  I just wanted to have a great bike ride in a beautiful place.”

Ross Wilson of Edmonton won the silver medal in the men’s C1.  It is Wilson’s second medal, after winning silver in the individual pursuit on the track.

Bronze medals were earned by Charles Moreau of Victoriaville, Quebec in the men’s H3 competition, Michael Sametz of Calgary in the men’s C3 and Shelley Gautier of Toronto in the women’s T1-T2 category.

Canada is off to a great start in wheelchair rugby. Zak Madell of Okotoks, Alta., scored 38 points to lead the Canadians to a 68-42 win over Brazil in the opening preliminary round game for both teams.

Paddlers Christine Gauthier (Pointe-Claire, Que.) and Erica Scarff (Mississauga, Ont.) have both qualified for the finals on Thursday following strong results in heats and semis this morning. This is the first ever Paralympic Games to include para-canoe events.

There was also great news for Canada in boccia. In the BC4 individual class Alison Levine of Montreal won her final preliminary round match 6-1 over Ximei Lin of China. Levine advances to the quarterfinal on Thursday.

In para-sailing, the Canadian SKUD team of John McRoberts and Jackie Gay of Victoria produced another consistent day on the Pao Acucar course. With the exception of a penalty flag in their sixth race, they were third for race four and fourth in race five. Fortunately for the Canadian team, the Polish also suffered the same penalty leaving McRoberts and Gay third overall after six of a scheduled 11 races.

The Canadian men’s Paralympic wheelchair basketball team heads home on a high note after a 70-51 win over Algeria in a placement game to finish 11^th. Nik Goncin of Regina led Canada with 19 points.

In athletics, Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., won his heats to advance to Thursday’s men’s T53 final. Lakatos has a gold and silver so far at the Games. Six-time Paralympian Diane Roy also qualified for the women’s T54 5000-m.

In men’s goalball quarterfinal, Canada lost a 5-4 heartbreaker to Lithuania in double overtime. The Canadian women also dropped their quarterfinal to the U.S. 2-0.

How Canadians did on Wednesday September 14, 2016 at the Paralympic Games in Rio (all times Rio time)

Archery

Men’s individual compound: Kevin Evans, Jaffray, B.C. lost to Gianpaolo Cancelli, Italy, 146-128 in the round of 32

Athletics

Women’s T54 5000: Diane Roy, Sherbrooke, Que., was sixth in heats to advance to final on Thursday.

Men’s T53 800: Brent Lakatos, Dorval, Que., was fifth in heats to advance to final on Thursday.  Jean-Philippe Maranda, Ste-Aurélie, Que., was 13th in heats and does not advance.

Men’s T34 800 :  Austin Smeenk, Oakville, Ont., was disqualified in the final.

Men’s T54 800: Josh Cassidy, Port Elgin, Ont., and Alexandre Dupont, St-Rémi, Que., were 20th and 21^st in heats and do not advance.

Women’s T44 200-m: Marissa Papaconstantinou, Toronto, was disqualified in heats and does not advance.

Boccia (preliminary round)

Mixed BC4 individual:  Marco Dispaltro, St-Jérome,Que., lost to Ximei Li, China, 6-1.

Mixed BC4 individual: Alison Levine, Montreal lost to Yuansen Zheng, China, 5-2.

Mixed BC3 individual:  Éric Bussière, Verchères, Que., lost to Han Soo Kim, South Korea, 4 -1.

Mixed BC4 individual: Marco Dispaltro, St-Jérome, Que., lost to Yuansen Zheng, China, 9-0.

Mixed BC4 individual: Alison Levine, Montreal, defeated Ximei Lin, China, 6-1.

Canoe

Women’s KL2 : Christine Gauthier, Dorval, Que., was fifth in heats and first in semifinals to advance to final on Thursday.

Women’s KL3 heats: Erica Scarff, Mississauga, Ont., was fifth in heats and third in semifinals to advance to final on Thursday.

Cycling (Road)

Men’s time trial C2:  Tristan Chernove, Powell River, B.C., won the gold medal.

Women’s time trial C5.: Nicole Clermont, Laval, Que., was eighth.

Women’s time trial C4: Marie-Claude Molnar, Lemoyne, Que., was fifth.

Men’s time trial C1: Ross Wilson, Sherwood Park, Alta., won the silver medal.

Men’s time trial H3: Charles Moreau, Victoriaville, Que., won the bronze medal.

Men’s time trial B : Daniel Chalifour, Ste-Thérèse, Que., and his guide Jean-Michel Lachance, Quebec City, were 15^th.

Men’s time trial C3: Michel Sametz, Calgary, won the bronze medal.

Women’s time trial B: Robbi Weldon, Thunder Bay, Ont., and her guide Audrey Lemieux, Alma, Que., seventh; Shawna Ryan, Saskatoon and her guide Joanie Caron, Rimouski, Que., 13^th.

Women’s time trial T1-2: Shelley Gautier, Toronto won the bronze medal and Marie-Ève Croteau, Quebec City, was sixth.

Equestrian

Individual championship test Grade Ib: Ashley Gowanlock, Surrey, B.C., ninth.

Goalball

Men’s quarterfinal – Canada lost to Lithuania 5-4 in double overtime. Doug Ripley, New Westminster, B.C., scored twice.

Women’s quarterfinal – Canada  lost to USA 2-0.

Sailing

2-person keelboat (Skud 18): John McRoberts, Victoria and Jackie Gay, Victoria- third in race 04, fourth in race 05, U flag disqualification in race 06. They are third overall after six of 11 races.

3-person keelboat (Sonar): Paul Tingley, Halifax; Logan Campbell, Saskatoon; Scott Lutes, Montreal – fifth in race 04, ninth in race 05, ninth in race 06. They are ninth overall after six of 11 races.

1-person keelboat (2.4mR).: Bruce Millar, Victoria,- did not finish race 03, eighth in race 04, black flag disqualification in race 05. He is 11^th overall after five of 11 races.

Swimming

Women’s SB8 100-m breaststroke: Katarina Roxon, Corner Brook, N.L., won the gold medal.

Men’s SB14 100-m breaststroke: Gord Michie, St. Thomas, Ont., was 11^th in heats and did not advance.

Men’s SB3 50-m breaststroke: Jonathan Dieleman, Smithers, B.C., was fifth in the final.

Women’s SB3 50-m breaststroke: Tammy Cunnington, Red Deer, Alta., was 13^th in heats and did not advance.

Men’s S13 50-m freestyle:  Nicolas-Guy Turbide, Quebec City,  was eighth in the final. Devin Gotell, Antigonish, N.S., was 19^th in heats and did not advance.

Men’s 4X100-m freestyle relay 34 pts: Canada was seventh in the final with Alec Elliot, Kitchener, Ont.; Nathan Clement, West Vancouver; Zack McAllister, Lethbridge, Alta.; Nathan Stein, Surrey, B.C.

Wheelchair basketball

Men’s 11-12^th place match – Canada defeated Algeria 70-51 to place 11^th. Nik Goncin, Regina, led Canada with 19 points.

Wheelchair rugby

Preliminary round: Canada defeated Brazil 62-48 in its opening game. Zak Madell, Okotoks, Alta., led Canada with 38 goals.

Canadians in action on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at the Paralympic Games in Rio (all times Rio time)

Athletics

10 a.m.: Guillaume Ouellet, Quebec City, men’s T11 5000-m FINAL

5:30 p.m.: Diane Roy, Sherbrooke, Que., women’s T54 5000-m FINAL

7:01 p.m.: Brent Lakatos, Dorval, Que., men’s T53 800-m FINAL

Boccia

11:30 a.m.: quarterfinal BC4 individual – Alison Levine, Montreal vs Pornchok Larpyen, Thailand.

Cycling (Road)

2:20 p.m.: Charles Moreau, Victoriaville, Que., men’s H3 road race.

Canoe

9:16 a.m.: Christine Gauthier, Dorval, Que., women’s KL2 FINAL

9:53 a.m. Erica Scarff, Mississauga, Ont., women’s KL3 FINAL

Equestrian

9 a.m.: Lauren Barwick, Reddick, Florida, individual championship test – Grade II

12:45 p.m. Robyn Andrews, St. John’s N.L., individual championship test – Grade 1a

Sailing

12:05 p.m.: John McRoberts, Victoria and Jackie Gay, Victoria 2-person keelboat (Skud 18) – race 07, 08, 09.

12:05 p.m.: Paul Tingley, Halifax; Logan Campbell, Saskatoon; Scott Lutes, Montreal 3-person keelboat (Sonar) – race 07, 08, 09.

12:15 pm.: Bruce Millar, Victoria, 1-person keelboat (2.4mR) – race 06, 07, 08.

Sitting volleyball

1:30 p.m.: women’s seventh-eighth place match – Canada (0-3) vs Rwanda (0-3).

Swimming

9:43 a.m.: Katerina Roxon, Kippins, N.L. S9 100-m butterfly heats.

9:55 a.m.: Nydia Langill, Mississauga, Ont., SB6 100-m breaststroke heats.

10:04 a.m.: Benoit Huot, Longueuil, Que., and Isaac Bouckley, Port Hope, Ont., men’s S10 400-m freestyle heats.

10:11 a.m.: Alec Elliot, Kitchener, Ont., men’s S10 400-m freestyle heats.

1025 a.m.: Aurélie Rivard, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., women’s S10 400-m freestyle heats.

Wheelchair rugby

12:45 p.m.: preliminary round: Canada (1-0) vs Britain (0-1)

ABOUT TEAM CANADA IN RIO: Canada has a team of 162 athletes competing in 19 sports at the Paralympic Games, Sept. 7 to 18. For more information visit: http://paralympic.ca/team-canada-rio-2016 

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee: www.paralympic.ca 

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For more information, please contact:

Alison Korn

Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications

Canadian Paralympic Committee

Rio cell: +55 (21) 99033-0131

Email: akorn@paralympic.ca

Martin Richard

Executive Director, Communications and Marketing

Canadian Paralympic Committee

Rio cell: + 55 (21) 99031-7843

Email: mrichard@paralympic.ca