Paralympic viewing guide: Canada can close the Games in style
What to watch on the final two days of competition
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A Canadian swimmer won gold today — just not the one we've come to expect. Aurélie Rivard's attempt to win her sixth medal in six events in Tokyo fell just short as she finished fourth in the women's SM10 200m individual medley final — her final race. But 18-year-old Danielle Dorris blew away her competition in the S7 50-metre butterfly, breaking the world record in both her heat and the final, which she won by 1.31 seconds — a huge margin for such a short race. It was Dorris' second medal of the Games. She took silver in her 100m backstroke event earlier this week. Rivard, 25, doubled her career Paralympic medal count in Tokyo, from five to 10.
On the track, Marissa Papaconstantinou took bronze in a photo finish in the women's T64 100m event. It was a long road to the podium for Papaconstantinou, who made her Paralympic debut as a 16-year-old in 2016 and was ranked third in the world leading up to the 2019 world championships before a torn hamstring ruined her chances. Read more about what happened on Day 10 here.
Today's two medals brought Canada's total to 20 (four gold, 10 silver, six bronze) with two days of competition left. Here's what to watch on Friday and Saturday before the Games officially close on Sunday:
The headliner is wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos in the men's T54 marathon on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET. After years of racking up medals on the track, the 41-year-old only recently added longer distances to his repertoire. It's already paid off — he took silver in his Paralympic 5,000m debut last weekend — and could result in another podium in the marathon. Lakatos showed what he's capable of by winning the men's wheelchair race at the London Marathon in 2020. With four silvers in five events already in Tokyo, Lakatos can match Rivard for the honour of most decorated Canadian in these Games. In terms of lifetime medal total, he leads her 11 to 10. Lakatos is a candidate to carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremony, which you can watch live Sunday starting at 6 a.m. ET on the CBC TV network, CBC Gem, CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports app.
WATCH | What you missed on Day 10 in Tokyo:
Other Canadians to watch this weekend
Before Lakatos closes things out in the marathon, Canada's other strong podium contenders this weekend include, in chronological order:
Track and field — Austin Smeenk in the men's T34 800m final on Friday at 8:55 p.m. ET. He finished fourth in this event at the most recent world championships, in 2019, and had the fifth-fastest time in qualifying last night.
Women's sitting volleyball — Canada vs. Brazil in the bronze-medal match on Saturday at 3:30 a.m. ET. The fifth-ranked Canadians got swept three sets to none in today's semifinal vs. China, but they still get to play for a Paralympic medal for the first time ever. Brazil, ranked No. 3, won bronze at the 2016 Games. The United States and China, ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, are meeting in the gold-medal match for the fourth consecutive time. China won the first two before the U.S. took the title in 2016.
Track and field — Nate Riech in the men's T38 1,500m final on Saturday at 6:15 a.m. ET. The 26-year-old Paralympic rookie is the reigning world champion in this event and the world record holder, breaking it most recently in May. Fellow Canadian Liam Stanley will also compete in the nine-runner final. He finished fifth at the 2019 worlds.
Track and field — Renee Foessel in the women's F38 discus throw on Saturday at 6:35 a.m. ET. The 26-year-old broke the world record in June. She took bronze at the worlds in 2019 and 2015 and finished fourth at the 2016 Paralympics. The other Canadian in this event, Jenn Brown, is also eyeing the podium after placing fourth at the 2019 worlds.
For the full list of Canadians competing each day, go here. Live events are being streamed on CBC Gem, the CBC Sports app and CBCSports.ca. See a detailed schedule with links to live sports here. You can also watch Paralympic action on the CBC TV network. Check your local listings for times.
