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Newsletter By Adam Beauchemin, Jackson Starr, Dan Plouffe & Kaitlyn LeBoutillier
Patrice Dagenais and the Canadian wheelchair rugby team mounted a solid comeback effort but couldn’t climb back high enough in a 50-46 defeat to unbeaten Japan, which ended their medal hopes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
In order to advance to the semi-final through tiebreaker, Canada needed to win the match by at least three points against the team Dagenais called the favourite to win the tournament.
“We basically need to play one of our best games ever to be able to accomplish this,” Dagenais signalled in a Friday interview with Ottawa Sports Pages reporter Adam Beauchemin.
Dagenais, Canada’s co-captain, played a total of 15:31 in the match, his highest total of the Games so far, putting forth a strong defensive effort and opening up lanes on the offensive side as well.
Japan’s defence was stingy from the start and the team took an early lead in the match to finish the first quarter with a four-point advantage.
However, the Canadians proved they weren’t ready to surrender and began to methodically chip away at their opponent’s lead. Canada managed to tie the game at 25 at the close of the second period.
While the teams were starting the second half dead-even, Japan soon retook the lead thanks to some timely steals. While the Canadians attempted to claw back into the game yet again, their deficit, along with the need to win by three, proved insurmountable, and Japan finished the game ahead by four.
The Japanese mounted a strong defence, which proved key to their success. They earned six steals to Canada’s three and their aggressive defence also forced the Canadians to burn through three of their four floor timeouts — which are typically called to avoid turnovers — within the first quarter.
Another key to Japan’s success was their depth — they deployed all 12 of their rostered players and nine of them played over five minutes. By contrast, Canada deployed eight players throughout the game, one of whom only played 15 seconds.
Canada’s leading scorer Zak Madell counted 27 tries on the night and played all 32 minutes in the game, the most of any player.
The match was played once again in front of a vibrant crowd at the Champs-des-Mars Arena — fans could be heard throughout the match as they filled the stands wearing Canadian and Japanese paraphernalia.
“Wheelchair rugby is definitely a hot ticket. We have thousands of people in the crowd cheering us on from different countries,” highlighted Dagenais, the Ottawa Stingers player and club president from Embrun. “It’s just loud, so it just makes for an awesome atmosphere.”
With today’s loss, Canada fell to 1-2 and will be relegated to the placement round to determine fifth through eighth in the standings.
Tomorrow, Canada will face winless Denmark in its new quest to finish fifth.
Keegan Gaunt places 9th in Paralympic track debut
Keegan Gaunt ran in her first Paralympic event today, finishing ninth in the T13 women’s 1,500 metres for athletes with visual impairments.
The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club product recorded a time of 4:51.43, short of her previous season-best performance of 4:46.86. In 2021, Gaunt set a national record in the T13 1500m with a personal best time of 4:41.62.
Gaunt stayed back in the second pack of runners early on and maintained her spot throughout most of the race.
Gezahagn Tigist Menigstu from Ethiopia won the day, finishing with a time of 4:22.39. She was closely followed by Egypt’s Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi (4:22.98) and USA’s Liza Corso (4:23.45).
Gaunt is also entered in the 400 m event, with heats set for Sept. 5.
Ottawa Paralympians in action on September 1:
Day 4 Preview: Canada will shoot for winning record in goalball prelim round
Canada’s goalball team will be back on the court tomorrow for their final group play match of the tournament against South Korea.
The Canadian team is headlined by three local athletes: Emma Reinke, Whitney Bogart and Amy Burk.
Canada currently has a record of 1-1 and a win tomorrow would help them secure better positioning for the knockout stage.
In their first game of the tournament, the Canadians forced an early end to the match against the host team France by scoring 10 goals to earn a mercy victory.
They followed their opening night performance up with a tense 2-1 loss to Japan that was decided by a goal at the tail end of play.
South Korea is also sitting with a 1-1 record, with a 6-1 win over France and a 3-1 loss to Japan.
“We’re expecting a tight defensive game,” Burk said via the Canadian Paralympic Committee on Friday. “The Asian countries play very similarly, so we know we’re not going to be pounding goals into them super fast, but it’s the same execution for today. It’s going to be just go into the game, be calm, be patient and just have confidence in what our team can do.”
Burk, 34, has entered rare company at the Paris Paralympic Games. She’s become one of just nine members of the 2024 Canadian Paralympic team to have competed in 5+ Paralympics.
“Getting to go to the Paralympics and representing your country at the highest level that you can in your sport is just a huge honour,” Burk told Ottawa Sports Pages reporter Jackson Starr before the Games. “One of the things I keep telling people is: this will be my fifth, but it’s no different than my first. It’s just special.
“Sometimes as athletes, we kind of take it for granted, but there is a small selected group that actually gets to do this. And when you think back and you reflect on it, it’s just a huge honour.”
Burk participated in her first Paralympics as an 18-year-old at Beijing 2008. She’s represented Canada consistently on the world stage ever since, becoming a go-to goal scorer and team captain.
Burk would love to capture her first Paralympic medal in Paris, with her sister-in-law Bogart set to retire after these Games, and with her two children in the stands for the first time.
“They’ve never seen me play internationally, so it’s going to be super exciting for them to see this live and to just see what our team can do,” Burk highlighted. “I have two young boys, both with albinism as well, so I know para sport is in their future, as opposed to able bodied sport.
“For them to see the Paralympics, and just what great athletes can accomplish despite their limitations of their disability is inspirational. It just goes to show you that you can accomplish your goals in life.”
You can read Starr’s full profile on Burk here.
Dagenais is the other local athlete in action tomorrow, for Canada’s wheelchair rugby placement match against Denmark.
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