The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games come to an end
After 11 days of action in Paris, the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games have concluded, with Canada bringing home a total medal haul of 29 (10 gold, nine silver and 10 bronze) eight more medals than Tokyo 2020. The final day on the Paralympic stage featured events in Para athletics, Para powerlifting, Para canoe and women’s wheelchair basketball, with no Saskatchewan athletes on the schedule.
To bring an official end to the 2024 Games in Paris, the Closing Ceremony took place with three-time Paralympic medallist in Para swimming, Nicholas Bennett, and Canada’s first medallist (silver) in Para canoe, Brianna Hennessy, having the honour of being Canada’s flag bearers.
Overview of Saskatchewan results
Ten athletes who hail from Saskatchewan helped represent Canada in Paris for the past 11 days of competition and were joined by four coaches and one mission staff member.
The women’s sitting volleyball team, featuring Melfort’s Julie Kozun made history by claiming Canada’s first Paralympic medal in the sport, a bronze.
The pool was full of Saskatchewan pride with Meadow Lake’s Nikita Ens racing in the women’s S3 50-metre backstroke and S3 100-m freestyle, Shelby Newkirk of Saskatoon in the women’s S6 50-m freestyle, S7 freestyle and the S6 100-m backstroke event to claim bronze, as well as Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette debuting in the women’s S5 200-m freestyle, S5 50-m butterfly and SM5 200-m individual medley. Each Para swimmer joined mixed medley relay teams in addition to their individual events…Humboldt Para rower, Jacob Wassermann, debuted in the PR1 Men’s Single Sculls and finished fourth in Final B… Asquith wheelchair fencer, Ryan Rousell competed in the men’s Group A Épée event and finished 11th in the sabre event and 18th in epee…Para cyclist Keely Shaw of Midale received her second Paralympic bronze medal of her career in the C4 3,000-m individual pursuit event, she also raced in three other events… Regina wheelchair basketball duo Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk joined Team Canada in a fourth place finish…Saskatoon’s Ashlyn Renneberg made her debut on the Paralympic stage in the women’s F13 javelin throw to finish 7th…
On the coaching side: Ryan Jones made his Paralympic debut as coach of the Para swimming team and accompanied Ens, Newkirk and Ouellette…Para badminton coach Frank Gaudett helped guide Yuka Chokyu through the women’s WH1 singles event to reach tenth place…in the world of Para rowing, John Wetzstein coached Wassermann through his first Paralympic appearance…meanwhile Carla Nicholls joined the Para athletics team as head coach for her second consecutive Games.
Also joining Team Canada in Paris was Chris Dornan as media attache.