Athletics Canada nominates 24 athletes to Team Canada for Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

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Athletics Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee have announced the nomination of 24 athletes for selection to Team Canada for this September’s Paralympic Games in Rio.

The team is headlined by multiple Paralympic medallists Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., Michelle Stilwell of Parksville, B.C., and Diane Roy of Sherbrooke, Que., along with world champion Guillaume Ouellet of Victoriaville, Que.

“Our nominated athletes in para-athletics bring world-class accomplishments and exciting potential to the Rio 2016 Canadian Paralympic Team,” said Team Canada’s Chef de Mission Chantal Petitclerc. “I know that all our athletes and coaches are making the most of these final few weeks of preparation before the Games as they work towards a peak performance in Rio. I can’t wait to cheer them on at the start line in September.”

At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Canada’s athletics team won nine medals, led by Lakatos with three silvers (200-metres, 400-metres and 800-metres). The 36-year-old Lakatos has also earned 12 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championship podiums (including seven golds) and three Parapan American Games gold medals.

“I can't wait for Rio,” said Lakatos. “These are my fourth Paralympic Games, and each one has been so different. Athens was a blur, Beijing was bitter disappointment and London was my first taste of the podium. This will be the first time I head in as a favorite.”

The team’s lone gold medallist at London 2012, Michelle Stilwell won gold in the T52 classification wheelchair 200-metres and silver in the 100-metres. Jason Dunkerley and guide Josh Karanja of Ottawa, Ont., won silver in the T11 visually impaired 5000-metres and bronze in the 1500-metres. Guillaume Ouellet will make his Paralympic Games debut as the reigning world champion in the T13 classification 5000-metres, while Rio will mark Diane Roy’s sixth Paralympic Games, an impressive career that has seen her win five Paralympic Games medals overall.

“Congratulations to all the athletes named today to Canada’s athletics team bound for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games,” said the Honorable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. “Our Government is a proud supporter of Athletics Canada and our athletes should know that all Canadians are behind them as they go for gold in Brazil.”

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games are set for Sept. 7 to 18. The athletics competition takes place Sept. 8 through 18.

Athlete and coach biographies are available at Paralympic.ca/athletes. High resolution photos can be downloaded at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/a9j0jhke1nc80ms/AAD4Vr5pQDEha0PAxzDs0IAia?dl=0

The athletes nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Team are as follows:

Para-athletics team

Male athletes

Name

Hometown

Classification

Event(s)

Coach(es)

*Josh Cassidy

Port Elgin, ON

T54

800m/1500m/5000m

Jenny Archer/Amanda Fader

Mitchell Chase

Pickering, ON

T38

1500m

Craig Blackman

Shayne Dobson

Campbellton, NB

T37

1500m

Jean-Marc Dorion / Steve LeBlanc 

*Jason Dunkerley

Ottawa, ON

T11

1500m

Ian Clark

*Alex Dupont

Clarenceville, QC

T54

400m/800m/1500m/4x400m

Rick Reelie

*Josh Karanja

Ottawa, ON

 

Guide runner for Jason Dunkerley

Ian Clark

*Brent Lakatos

Dorval, QC

T53

100m/400m/800m/4x400m

 

Jean-Philippe Maranda

Ste-Aurélie, QC

T53

100m/400m/800m/4x400m

Rick Reelie

*Alister McQueen

Calgary, AB

F44

Javelin

Kim Cousins

Guillaume Ouellet

Victoriaville, QC

T13

1500m/5000m

Félix-Antoine Lapointe

Austin Smeenk

Oakville, ON

T34

100m/800m

Ken Thom

Tristan Smyth

Maple Ridge, BC

T54

1500m/4x400m

Kelly Smith

Liam Stanley

Victoria, BC

T37

1500m

Bruce Deacon

Kevin Strybosch

London, ON

F37

Discus

John Allan

*Curtis Thom

Mississauga, ON

T54

400m/4x400m

Bob Schrader

Female athletes

       

Jenn Brown

Calgary, AB F38 Discus Kim Cousins

*Ilana Dupont

Saskatoon, SK T53 100m/400m/800m Rick Reelie

Eva Fejes

Salt Spring Island, BC   Sport Assistant for Ness Murby  

Renée Foessel

Orangenville, ON F38 Discus Ken Hall

Pamela Le Jean

Cape Breton, NS F53 Shot put Ueli Albert

Ness Murby

Salt Spring Island, BC F11 Discus Sheldan Gmitroski

Marissa Papaconstantinou

Toronto, ON T44 100m/200m Geoff Standen 

*Diane Roy

Sherbrooke, QC T54 400m/800m/1500m/5000m

Jean Laroche

*Michelle Stilwell

Parksville, BC T52 100m/400m

Peter Lawless

 *Denotes previous Paralympic Games experience

 

The nominated athletes will be supported by the following staff:

 

Peter Eriksson

Ottawa, ON

Head Coach

Kristine Deacon

Cambridge, ON

Team Manager

Kayla Cornale

Toronto, ON

Assistant Manager

Ingrid Ruys

Sherwood Park, AB

Family & Friends Manager

Félix-Antoine Lapointe

Québec, QC

Coach – Endurance

Kim Cousins

Calgary, AB

Coach – Throws

John Allan

Toronto, ON

Coach – Throws

Kelly Smith

Lake Country, BC

Coach – Wheelchair

Rick Reelie

Saskatoon, SK

Coach – Wheelchair

Andrea Stephan

Toronto, ON

Physiotherapist

Duriell Bernard

Vancouver, BC

Chiropractor

Robert Lee

Toronto, ON

Massage Therapist

Alvin Bodnarchuk

Saskatoon, SK

Massage Therapist

-30-

 

For more information, please contact:

Mathieu Gentès
Director, Corporate Services & Public Relations
Athletics Canada
Phone: (613) 260-5580 x3303 / Mobile: (613) 868-7692
Email mgentes@athletics.ca

Alison Korn
Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Tel: 613-569-4333 ext. 243 / Cell: 613-298-4927
Email: akorn@paralympic.ca

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