In just three days, Canada has won six medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. With athletes like Nicholas Bennett and Tess Routliffe taking a leap in the pool, the medal tally is on the rise. There have been a number of Canadian athletes who have made their mark on Day 3, from rocky roads to Rugby grounds. We have a look at the events for Day 3 of the Olympics.
Tess Routliffe’s Redemption in Para Swimming
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, swimming was the biggest hit event for the Canadian team, and the same trend is starting to appear for the Paralympics as well. For the first time ever, Canada’s star Paralympic swimmer Nicholas Bennett won the silver medal in the men’s 200m freestyle S14 for the first Paralympics medal of his life. With a clocked time of 1:53.61, he has come back with force after missing the podium at the age of 17 in Tokyo.
He told the Canadian Paralympic committee: 
“This is something we’ve been working towards since I was a little kid, just to get to this level,” “But being on the podium is a highlight across this long road.”
It was not the finish for Canada in swimming as Tess Routliffe who made her maiden appearance in Rio 2016 clinched silver in Paris. She missed Tokyo 2020 due to injury but no injury could beat her strong will this time, she not only came stronger but surged her second Olympic silver in the women’s 200-meter individual medley event in 2:57.17.
She said:
“I think it’s more about maxing out my potential and unfortunately tonight I wasn’t able to fully max out what I think I’m capable of,” “But I’m ecstatic to be back here, I’m doing what I love again, there’s nothing else to describe that feeling and I’m just happy to be back.”
Canadians had their eyes looked out for Danielle Dorris as well who was competing in the same event and finished sixth in the finals.
Mel Pemble heartbreak at Paris 2024 Paralympics
Having been a Paralympian in Para alpine skiing in 2018, Mel Pemble took a switch to cycling in 2020, proving that she belongs on both the track and the road. Having achieved the new C3 classification mark earlier this week in qualifying with a time of 38.512 seconds in Paris 2024 Paralympic, she has now secured the new record for her classification. Despite the phenomenal performance she put into play, Pemble finished fourth in the event, but she will be hoping that next time that she can take her performance and turn it into a medal victory.
She said:
“It’s pretty cool to come here and realize I’m at my second Games,” “It felt more real coming into these Games with medal potential.”
“The world record is going to make that fourth place sting a little less in the end, but I think it’s going to take a little while for me to get over that. I’m very happy with my times, I got a personal best by a second which is more than I could hope for, but it would have been amazing to win a medal, it just wasn’t in the cards this year.”
Disappointed Para Athletics
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With an outstanding contingent of athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, especially in track and field, Canada made its presence known to the world, but it was no secret that expectations were high for the Paralympics contingent as well. During the first two days of the competition, they had a strong start, but day 3 didn’t go as well for them, since five of them competed at Stade de France, but they managed to last for a medal.
In the men’s T54 5000m, 11-time Paralympic medallist Brent Lakatos was seventh with a time of 10:56.73 less than two seconds separating the top eight in a thrilling race.
Next up was a seventh finish by a 19 year old Ashlyn Renneberg, who made her Paralympic debut in Paris 2024 in the women’s F13 javelin with a best throw of 30.93 meters.
Ashlyn Renneberg said:
“I ranked top seven so that right there is an accomplishment in itself because I think I was ranked 10th or ninth coming in, so at least I moved up a bit and that was already a win.”
The day also witnessed Guillaume Ouellet fifth spot in the men’s T13 5000m and first-time Paralympian Keegan Gaunt securing ninth position in the women’s T13 1500m. Rounding out the day was Amanda Rummery, fifth in the women’s T47 400m final in her maiden Paralympic final.
Loss in Sitting Volleyball
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From a dead cold podium at Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19 to a filled Villepinte with cheers, the Canadian women’s team was up against the toughest opponent in their pool, Brazil whom they lost their match to, at 3-1. The squad is now 1-1 with a game remaining in the round-robin.
A day of upsets in Wheelchair Rugby
Born out of the Canadian wilderness in the late 1970s, a sport that initially earned the moniker “murderball” due to its intense physical demands made its Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000. Canada entered Paris 2024 with a lot of expectations after finishing 5th at Tokyo 2020 but things started on a bad note on day 3 for Canada.
The day witnessed a neck-to-neck match between Canada and Japan in the preliminary play, where Canada fell short at 50-46. The team still have their hopes high for placing in playoff games, with hopes of being able to match its fifth-place finish from Tokyo 2020.
See-Saw Day in Wheelchair Basketball
Canada surged to a win and a loss against Great Britain at the Bercy Arena, with the women posting a 63-54 victory before the men dropped an 88-58 decision. Making their first victory at Paris 2024, the women’s team showcased spectacular action, with Arinn Young scoring 26 points and Cindy Ouellet adding 19 to lead the team in scoring.
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