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.
Historic bronze for Kozun, Canadian Sitting Volleyball
The Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team, featuring Melfort’s Julie Kozun claimed Canada’s first Paralympic medal in the sport after a 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-18) victory over Brazil.
Newkirk shines in bronze
Shelby Newkirk, who hails from Saskatoon, swam to claim a bronze medal in the women’s 100-metre S6 backstroke with a time of 1:22.24 seconds
Earlier in the morning, Newkirk finished third in the 100-metre S6 backstroke heat with a time of 1:24.72 and qualified for finals.
Canada finishes fourth
Regina’s Nik Gocin and Garrett Ostepchuk joined Team Canada for final day on the wheelchair basketball court in the men’s bronze medal game against Germany. Canada started strong the first half, before falling 75-62 to Germany.
Ouellette’s final swim
Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette had her final competition in the swimming lanes for the women’s SM5 200-m individual medley heat, where she finished in 10th place with a time of 4:29.42 seconds.
Olympic Notes: On the Para athletics track it was a gold medal performance for Austin Smeenk in the men’s T34 800-m race…Brianna Hennessy secured silver in the women’s 200-m VL2 Va’a singles Para canoe event…Nate Richie won silver in the men’s T38 1500-m race…Julie Kozun and the women’s sitting volleyball team earned bronze…in the pool, Danielle Dorris finished top of the podium for gold in the women’s 50-m butterfly…Shelby Newkirk claimed bronze in the women’s S6 100-m backstroke…Canada’s medal count: 29 (10 Gold, 9 Silver, 10 Bronze).
Ouellette back in the pool
Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette returned to the pool after a break in her competition schedule and placed 11th in the women’s S5 50-metre butterfly heat with a time of 56.87 seconds. She did not advance to finals.
Ouellette will now look ahead to her final Paralympic event in the women’s SM5 200-m individual medley heat on September 7.
Shaw’s final race
Para cyclist Keely Shaw has concluded her time in Paris following her final race in the C4-5 road event.
Shaw, who hails from Midale, finished in 15th place with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 28 seconds.
Rousell eliminated from Round of 32
Asquith wheelchair fencer, Ryan Rousell wrapped up his second Paralympic Games on Day 9, following his 15-6 loss against Ukraine’s Artem Manko in the men’s Group A Épée Round of 32.
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Saturday Sept. 7 marks the last day of competition for Saskatchewan athletes and will feature three athletes fighting to medal with their respective teams and two Para swimmers in their final event.
Shelby Newkirk, of Saskatoon, will hit the pool one last time to compete in the women’s S6 100-m backstroke heat event at 1:57 a.m. Sask time. Depending on her results, she may advance to finals later in the morning at 9:53 a.m.
Fellow Saskatoon Para swimmer, Hannah Ouellette will also be in the swimming lanes for her final event in the women’s SM5 200-m individual medley heat at 3:25 a.m. SK time. Finals will take place later in the day at 12:02 p.m.
The Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team and Melfort’s Julie Kozun will face Brazil in a fight for the bronze medal at 7:00 a.m. Sask time.
Regina wheelchair basketball players, Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk will join Team Canada on the court for the final time, as they play against Germany for bronze at 8:00 a.m. Saskatchewan time.
Paralympic Notes: Sebastian Massabie’s gold medal performance set a world record in the men’s S4 50-m Para swimming event…Cody Fournie finished top of the podium in the men’s T51 100-m Para athletics event…Para swimmer Reid Maxwell is shining in silver for his Paralympic debut in the men’s S8 400-m freestyle event…Canada’s medal count: 23 (8 gold, 7 silver, 8 bronze).
Ens, Newkirk join mixed relay
In an early morning race, Nikita Ens and Shelby Newkirk came together to join two other Canadian Para swimmers in the mixed 4×50-metre medley replay – 20 points heat.
The team finished sixth in their heat with a time of 3:19.79 seconds and did not advance to finals.
Canadian men to play for wheelchair basketball bronze
The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team with Regina duo, Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk will play for bronze after an 80-43 loss to the United States in semifinals.
Canada will compete against Germany on Sept. 7.
Canada falls in sitting volleyball semifinal
It’s time to go for bronze after Canada’s women’s sitting volleyball team and Melfort’s Julie Kozun lost 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-18) to China in semifinals.
Canada will face Brazil on Sept. 7, as the two battle it out for bronze.
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Saskatoon Para swimmer, Hannah Ouelette will be back in the pool for her third individual event, in the women’s 50-m butterfly S5 heat on Sept. 6 at 1:53 a.m. Saskatchewan time. If she advances, she’ll move onto semifinals later in the morning at 9:59 a.m.
In his second and final event of the Games, Asquith’s Ryan Rousell will compete in the men’s wheelchair fencing Group A Épée on Sept. 6 at 2:10 a.m. SK time in the Round of 32. Repechage, playoffs and finals will take place later in the same day.
And Para cyclist Keely Shaw, who hails from Midale, will race for the final time in Paris as she is set to compete in the C4-5 Road Race at 1:35 a.m. SK time.
Paralympic Notes: Para swimmer, Aurelie Rivard had a golden performance in the women’s S10 400-metre freestyle event and claimed gold…Brent Lakatos raced his way to gold in the men’s 800-m T53 event… Tess Routliffe secured bronze in the women’s SB7 100-m breaststroke…Canada’s medal count: 20 (6 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze).
Newkirk in the pool again
This morning, Shelby Newkirk was back in the swimming lanes for the S7 100-metre freestyle heat event, finishing in 11th place with a time of 1:15.38 seconds.
The Saskatoon Para swimmer did not advance to finals and will now turn her attention to her final event in the S6 100-m backstroke heat on Sept. 7.
Shaw races on the road
Midale’s Keely Shaw had her first race of the Paralympic Games off the track for the C4 Road Individual Time Trial.
Shaw finished fifth overall with a 22:09.19 seconds time and will look ahead to her final event in Paris on Sept. 6 for the C4-5 road race.
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
After a one-day break in competition, Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk will join the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team back on the court for their semifinal match against the United States on Sept. 5 at 13:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time.
In another semifinal game, sitting volleyball player Julie Kozun, who hails from Melfort, will join Canada’s women’s team as they face China on Sept. 5 at 12:00 p.m. SK time.
Paralympic Notes: Canada added two more gold medals to their tally, one from Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett in the men’s SM14 200-m individual medley and the other from Greg Stewart in the men’s F46 shot put…Para cyclist Nathan Clement is shining in silver after his second-place finish in the men’s T1-2 individual time trial…a second silver was claimed by Para swimmer Reid Maxwell in the men’s S8 400-m freestyle…Canada’s medal count: 17 (4 gold, 6 silver, 7 bronze).
Canada off to semifinals with Goncin and Ostepchuk
The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team and Regina duo, Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk are off to semifinals after they defeated the Netherlands 79-67 in quarterfinal action.
Canada will compete against the United States on September 5.
Rousell wraps Sabre event in wheelchair fencing
Ryan Rousell, who hails from Asquith, had mixed results in the men’s Category A Sabre event.
In the Table 16 event, Rousell fell 15-7 before making a 15-4 comeback in the Repechage Round 1. The Repechage Round 2 was his final bout, as he fell 15-5 and finished 11th overall.
His time in Paris is not over, with Rousell set to compete in the men’s Épée Category A Table 32 event on September 6.
Ens concludes time at Paralympics
Nikita Ens’ time in Paris for the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games has come to an end.
The Meadow Lake local finished eighth in the women’s 100-metre freestyle-S3 heat with a 2:34.14 second time, missing out on the qualifying time required to move onto finals.
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Shelby Newkirk, of Saskatoon, will return to the pool for her second event of the Games in the women’s 100-m freestyle S7 heats at 3:10 a.m. SK time. If she advances, finals will take place later in the morning at 11:29 a.m.
Leaving the track behind, Para cyclist Keely Shaw of Midale will now compete in two road events, starting with the C4 Individual Time Trial on Sept. 4 at 12:14 a.m. SK time.
Paralympic Notes: Canada’s second gold medal has been claimed by Cody Fournie in the men’s 100-m T51 Para athletics event with a 37.64 second time…Para swimmer Katie Cosgriffe swam to bronze in the women’s 100-m butterfly S10 with a 1:07.22 second time…Canada’s medal count: 13 (2 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze).
Goncin, Ostepchuk advance to quarterfinals
The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball, including Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, are heading to the quarterfinals at the Paralympic Games in Paris, thanks to a 68-52 victory over Germany on Sept. 2.
Canada defeats Rwanda in sitting volleyball
Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team are sweeping into playoffs after defeating Rwanda 3-0 (25-14, 25-17 and 25-13) in their final round robin game on Day Five of the Paralympics.
Ens competes in first Paris event
Two-time Paralympian Nikita Ens of Meadow Lake competed in her first Para swimming event in Paris on Sept. 2, the women’s S3 50-metre backstroke.
Ens finished fifth in her heat with a time of 1:13.44 seconds and didn’t advance to finals.
Newkirk teams up for relay
Saskatoon Para swimmer Shelby Newkirk joined in for her first relay event on Sept. 2, racing in the Mixed 4×100-m Medley Relay – 34 points.
The Canadians finished the finals in eighth place with a time of 4:50.00. Canada advanced to the finals after also finishing eighth in the heats with a time of 4:46.82.
Paralympic Notes: Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett claimed his second medal and Canada’s first gold, finishing first in the men’s SB14 100-m breaststroke…Austin Smeenk won bronze in the Para athletics men’s T34 100-m race…Leanne Taylor, who has spent time training in Regina, won bronze in the women’s Para triathlon…Canada’s medal count: 11 (1 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze).
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Meadow Lake’s Nikita Ens will compete in her second event of the Paralympics, the heats for the women’s S3 100-m freestyle at 2:59 a.m. SK time on Sept. 3. Finals will be held later in the day at 11:28 a.m.
Asquith wheelchair fencer Ryan Rousell will be competing in the men’s Category A Sabre event on Sept. 3 at 5:00 a.m. in the Round of 32. Repechage, playoffs and finals will also take place on the same day.
The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball game, featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, are taking on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Sept. 3 at 8:00 a.m.
Read the full recap at cheeronsask.ca.
Wassermann wraps up Paralympics
After three races in three days, Para rower Jacob Wassermann has come to the end of his first Paralympic Games.
Competing in Final B of the men’s PR1 Single Sculls on Day 4, the Humboldt product finished in fourth place with a time of 11:58.90 seconds.
Paralympic notes: Para swimmer Aurelie Rivard earned Canada’s a silver medal in the women’s S10 100-metre freestyle…Brent Lakatos captured Canada’s first Paris medal in Para athletics in the men’s T53 400-m race…Canada’s medal count: 8 (0 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze).
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Saskatoon Para swimmer Nikita Ens will be competing in her first of two events on Sept. 2, the women’s S3 50-metre backstroke preliminaries at 2:16 a.m. Saskatchewan time. The final for the event will take place later in the day at 10:05 a.m.
The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team, featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, will be back on the court for their final round robin game against Germany on Sept. 2 at 8:05 a.m. SK time.
Also returning to action will be the women’s sitting volleyball team and Melfort’s Julie Kozun. They’ll take on Rwanda in their last round robin game at 10:00 a.m. SK time.
Men’s wheelchair basketball team falls to Great Britain
Canada fell behind early in their men’s wheelchair basketball game against Great Britain on Aug. 31 and was never able to recover, eventually falling 88-58 to drop to a 1-1 record in round robin play.
Brazil tops Canada in sitting volleyball
The Canadian women’s sitting volleyball, featuring Melfort’s Julie Kozun, are now 1-1 at the Paralympics after falling to Brazil 3-1 on Day 3 of the Games.
Wassermann to compete in Final B
Para rower Jacob Wassermann competed for the second time at the Paralympics on Aug. 31, the men’s PR1 Single Sculls repechage round.
The Humboldt product finished fourth in his heat with a time of 11:28.11 seconds.
Renneberg makes Paralympic debut
Ashlyn Renneberg’s first Paralympics are officially in the books after the Saskatoon local competed in the women’s F13 javelin throw on Day 3 of the Games, finishing with in seventh place with a distance of 30.93-metres.
Paralympic notes: Canada claimed two silver medals in the pool, with Nicholas Bennett finishing second in the men’s S14 200-m freestyle and Tess Routliffe doing the same in the women’s SM7 200-m individual medley.
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Para rower Jacob Wassermann will be the lone Saskatchewan athlete competing on Day 4 of the Paralympics on Sept. 1, racing in the men’s PR1 Single Sculls at 1:50 a.m. Saskatchewan time.
Read the full recap on cheeronsask.ca.
Shaw captures second career Paralympic bronze
It was a repeat performance for Para cyclist Keely Shaw in Paris as she claimed bronze in the women’s C4 3,000-metre individual pursuit on Day Two of the Paralympics. Shaw, who hails from Midale, won bronze in the same event in Tokyo 2020.
Racing in the event’s qualifier, Shaw finished third with a time of 3:44.012 seconds to advance to the bronze-medal final, which she won with a time of 3:46.942 seconds.
Goncin, Ostepchuk help Canada to victory
The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team netted a win in their first game of the Paralympics, defeating France 83-68.
Colin Higgins led the Canadian squad with 38 points, while Regina’s Garrett Ostepchuk had six points and Regina’s Nik Goncin added two points and two rebounds.
Check out Nik Goncin’s latest blog on Cheeronsask.ca detailing Canada’s journey to the Games and what is expectations for his third Paralympics are.
Wassermann makes Paralympic debut
Para rower Jacob Wassermann of Humboldt competed in his first Paralympics on Day Two of the Games, racing in the men’s PR1 Single Sculls qualifier.
Wasserman finished the event in sixth place in his heat with a time of 11:22.35 seconds and will next compete in the repechage round.
Ouellette teams up for relay
Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette joined forces with three other Canadian Para swimmers to compete in the Mixed 4×50-m Freestyle Relay – 20 points, her second event in Paris.
The team finished tenth overall in their heat with a time of 3:14.93 seconds and did not advance to finals.
Paralympic Notes: In addition to Shaw’s medal, Para cyclist Alexandre Hayward also captured bronze in the men’s C3 3,000-m Individual Pursuit…Canada’s medal count: 4 (0 gold, 0 silver, 4 bronze).
Read the full recap at cheeronsask.ca.
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Saskatoon’s Ashlyn Renneberg will make her Paralympic debut on Aug. 31 at 2:00 a.m. SK time, competing in the F13 javelin throw.
Jacob Wasserman of Humboldt will get a second shot at advancing to Final A in the men’s PR1 Single Sculls when he competes in the repechage round on Aug. 31 at 2:10 a.m. SK time.
There’s no rest for the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, as the squad competes in their second round robin game against Great Britain on Aug. 31 at 4:45 a.m. SK time.
Following a one-day break, Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team will be back on the court to take on Brazil on Aug. 31 at 12:00 p.m. SK time in their second game of the round robin.
Kozun, Canada defeat Slovenia
It was a dominant opening performance for Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team as they defeated Slovenia in three straight sets 25-11, 25-21 and 25-12 to earn their first win at the Paralympics.
Shaw competes in first event
Midale’s Keely Shaw took part in her first of four Para cycling events on Day 1 of the Paralympics, the women’s C4-5 500-metre track time trial, where she finished 10th overall.
Competing in the qualifying round, Shaw finished with a time of 40.431 seconds. She did not advance to the final round.
Ouellette makes Paralympic debut
Attending her first Paralympic Games, Saskatoon Para swimmer Hannah Ouellette took part in the women’s S5 200-m freestyle on Day 1.
Ouellette swam a time of 4:03.57 seconds to finish 19th overall and did not advance to the finals.
Newkirk fourth in opening event
In her second Paralympics, Shelby Newkirk finished fourth in the final of the women’s S6 50-m freestyle event with a time of 34.08 seconds.
Newkirk, who hails from Saskatoon and is competing in three events at the Games, qualified for the final by finishing the heats with the fourth-fastest time, 34.15 seconds.
Paralympic notes: For the second Paralympics in a row, Canada’s first medal was captured by a Para cyclist, as Katie O’Brien won bronze in the women’s C4-C5 500-m track time trial…Aurelie Rivard claimed her 11th Paralympic medal, winning bronze in the women’s S10 50-m freestyle… Canada’s medal count: 2 (0 gold, 0 silver, 2 bronze).
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
Humboldt’s Jacob Wassermann will make his Paralympic debut on Day 2 of the Paralympics as he competes in the men’s PR1 single sculls heats, starting at 2:10 a.m. SK time.
Keely Shaw of Midale will compete in her second event in Paris on August 30, the women’s C4 track 3000-m individual pursuit. The qualifier will take place at 4:11 a.m. SK time, with the final to follow at 7:22 a.m.
The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team, featuring Regina’s Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, will play their first game on August 30, taking on the host France at 10:15 a.m. SK time.
The Paralympics in Paris have officially begun!
Led by flag bearers Patrick Anderson, a six-time Paralympian with the men’s wheelchair basketball team, and Para swimmer Katarina Roxon, who is attending her fifth Games, Team Canada paraded from Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde.
Over the next 11 days, Canada’s 126 athletes will battle to reach the top of the podium and become Paralympic champions.
https://twitter.com/cbcsports/status/1828880801376940427
Upcoming Saskatchewan competition
In the pool, Saskatoon’s Shelby Newkirk will compete in her first of several events in Paris, the women’s S6 50-metre freestyle at 3:03 a.m. Saskatchewan time. Finals are scheduled for later in the morning at 11:17 a.m. SK time, should she advance.
Also in the pool, Saskatoon’s Hannah Ouellette will make her Paralympic debut, competing in the women’s S5 200-m freestyle at 3:52 a.m. SK time. Finals for this event are the same day, at 12:40 p.m. SK time, if she advances.
Midale’s Para cyclist Keely Shaw, who captured Canada’s first medal in Tokyo 2020, will race in the women’s C4-5 500-m track time trial qualifying round at 4 a.m. SK time, with the finals to follow at 7:45 a.m. SK time.
Meanwhile, Melfort’s Julie Kozun and the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team will begin the Paralympics with round robin action against Slovenia, starting at 10 a.m. Saskatchewan time.