Paralympic newsletter: Canada strikes gold, and who to watch on Tuesday
CBC
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After collecting eight medals over the first four days of competition without reaching the top of the podium, Canada finally struck gold today in Paris. Swimmer Nicholas Bennett, who has autism, won the men's 100m breaststroke SB14 for his second medal of the Games.
Two other Canadians made the podium on Day 5 to give the country its most productive day of the Games so far. Wheelchair triathlete Leanne Taylor took bronze in the women's PTWC event while wheelchair track racer Austin Smeenk also earned a bronze in the men's 100m T34. It's the first Paralympic medal for both athletes.
Canada came close to adding two more triathlon medals today, but Kamylle Frenette placed fourth in the women's PTS5 for the second straight Paralympics while top contender Stefan Daniel finished 10th in the men's PTS5. Daniel, a two-time Paralympic medallist, was leading his race when he crashed his bike into a barricade, knocking him out of contention.
The triathlon races were supposed to be held Sunday, but they were rescheduled due to poor water quality in the Seine river — the same problem that plagued the Olympic triathlons.
In case you missed it, Canadians captured four medals over the weekend — all silver. In addition to Bennett's second-place finish in the men's 200m freestyle, swimmer Tess Routliffe was the runner-up in the women's 200m individual medley SM7 while swimmer Aurelie Rivard and wheelchair track racer Brent Lakatos each captured their 12th career Paralympic medal.
Other key Canadian results today:
* Canada's women's sitting volleyball team swept Rwanda in three sets to place second in its group with a 2-1 record and advance to the semifinals on Thursday. The Canadians' opponent will be determined Tuesday.
* The Canadian wheelchair rugby team lost to France 53-50 in the fifth-place playoff game, meaning Canada finishes sixth. Japan defeated the United States to win its first Paralympic title after taking bronze at the past two Games. The U.S. has now taken silver three straight times.
* Wheelchair tennis player Rob Shaw lost his quarterfinal in straight sets to second-seeded Dutchman Niels Vink, eliminating Shaw from the quad singles tournament.
* Lakatos did not advance to the men's T54 1,500m final after placing eighth in his heat. None of the 44-year-old wheelchair track star's 12 Paralympic medals have come in the 1,500m, but he did take silver at last year's world championships.
Here's a full roundup of today's most notable Canadian performances.
WATCH | Bennett ends Canadian gold-medal drought:
Tuesday's leading contenders are all on the track. Here they are in chronological order of their finals:
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