Rio 2016 – Report
By Claire Buchanan
While the athletes are coming down from the high of the opening ceremonies, they sharpen their focus on the task at hand: a shot at the podium.
Dancers, singers, light shows and fireworks were all a part of leading up to the peak of having the Paralympic flame lit to officially begin the Games. It’s true that a spectacle like that is hard to beat but there is one thing in the eyes of an athlete that will surpass that moment exponentially and that is the roar of the fans as each athlete embarks on the ultimate goal of winning a Paralympic medal for their country.
Canada started off with a strong showing even before the Games began as our own wheelchair basketball star David Eng proudly carried our flag. With his chest pointing towards the heavens, he knelt on one knee to put all his strength into one dominant thrust of the Red and White. At the moment, an entire country was intoxicated with excitement.
Canada was ready.
Day One proved that Canada was here to fight. With veterans of the women’s wheelchair basketball team, Cindy Oulette and Janet McLachlan leading the scoreboard with 12 and 21 points, Canada came away with a 43-36 win over Great Britain. Losing to the Brits their last meeting, the Canadians could not have started off on a better foot. “The energy is high and positive within our team” boasts rookie Erica Gavel. Gavel comes from a strong background in basketball as she was a star in Canadian College ball suiting up for the Saskatchewan Huskies before losing a battle to injuries that introduced her to the wheelchair basketball world. She knows what it takes to get to a championship games and she expects to have the same mindset. “A championship is a championship. I won’t be changing my preparation.” Being one of the rookies on the squad, it is easy to find basketball experience on the mental side of the game in Gavel. The women face Argentina next on Saturday at 9:30am (BRT) and hope to carry their high energy to a 2-0 start in Rio.
As the Canadian women begin their tournament on a high note, their male counterparts are looking to bounce back from a hard fought loss against Spain last night. Keeping Spain out of the key was a tough challenge for the Canadians as they suffered an 80-46 loss to open their Paralympic tournament. London 2012 had them winning it all and coming into Rio as the previous gold medalists, they are expecting that they are the ones with the targets on their back.
Do not let their opening performance fool you. These guys are a tough team and have the capability to fix the little things quickly. Mixed well with experience of Adam Lancia, David Eng, Bo Hedges and Abdi Dini and the fresh young faces of the rookies that can bring bursts of speed, don’t be surprised to see a one two punch calm collected vets and ready to rumble rookies like Deion Green, Liam Hickey and Nik Goncin. These men will put their bodies on the line for their country and their next game against the Netherlands will be one to watch. The game is scheduled for this evening (Friday) at 6pm (BRT).
We all remember how much of a splash Canada made in the pool during the Olympics. Well, look no further than our Paralympic swimming team to show you that Canada owns the water. It is only day two and records are being broken. Aurelie Rivard was a bullet in the water, breaking the Paralympic record in the S10 50-meter freestyle with a time of 27.83. She couldn’t have put herself in a more confident place to go into the finals. Keep an eye on Canadians in the pool in Rio!
Most events are being shown through CBC and also on the CBC website.
Good luck on to all the athletes competing today!
Go Canada Go!
September 9, 2016