Canadian canoeist Brianna Hennessy raced to a Paralympic silver medal in the women’s va’a single 200-metre VL2 final on Saturday.
The 39-year-old from Ottawa finished behind defending champion Emma Wiggs of Great Britain with a time of one minute 00.12 seconds at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
It’s Canada’s first-ever Paralympic medal in the sport and Hennessy’s first career Paralympic medal.
Wiggs held off the Canadian to capture gold in 58.88, while Australia’s Susan Seipel claimed bronze (1:01.39).
WATCH l Hennessy wins Canada’s 1st-ever Paralympic medal in Para canoe:
Ottawa canoeist Brianna Hennessy won a Paralympic silver medal in the women’s va’a single 200-metre VL2 final Saturday in Paris.
Hennessy will also compete in the semifinals of the women’s kayak single 200m KL1 on Sunday at 4 a.m. ET after finishing fourth in her heat on Friday in 59.02.
Hennessy has also represented Canada in wheelchair rugby. She was a member of Canada’s historic women’s wheelchair rugby team that placed third at the 2023 Women’s Cup in France — the first all-female international wheelchair rugby tournament.
She suffered paralysis when she was struck by a car in Toronto in 2014 at the age of 30.
Canada now has 25 medals at these Games — nine gold, eight silver, eight bronze.
Erica Scarff of Mississauga, Ont., finished fifth in the women’s 200m VL3 final with a mark of 59.48 later on Saturday.
WATCH l CBC Sports’ Shireen Ahmed on Brianna Hennessy’s inspiring journey:
CBC Sports’ Shireen Ahmed highlights the inspiring journey of Canadian paracanoeist and wheelchair rugby player Brianna Hennessy.
Dorris looking to defend title in 50m butterfly
Canadian swimmer Danielle Dorris will look to continue her reign of dominance in the women’s S7 50m butterfly later on Saturday.
Dorris, the defending champion and world-record holder, advanced to the final with the fastest overall qualifying time at Paris La Défense Arena (33.70).
The 21-year-old from Moncton, N.B., will go for gold at 12:36 p.m. ET, with live streaming coverage available on CBC Gem, the Paris 2024 website and the Paris 2024 mobile app.
Tess Routliffe of Caledon, Ont., also qualified for the medal race after winning her heat, stopping the clock in 36.60 for the third-fastest time overall among the field of 16 swimmers.
Dorris set the world record in the event (32.99) while capturing Paralympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
The 25-year-old Routliffe has already won a pair of medals in Paris, earning silver in the 200m individual medley and bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Saskatoon’s Shelby Newkirk will also swim for a spot on the podium on Saturday in the women’s 100m backstroke, scheduled for 11:53 a.m. ET.
Newkirk, 28, was third-fastest overall in qualifying (1:24.72). She placed second in her heat behind Tokyo gold medallist and world-record holder Ellie Marks of the United States.
Other Canadian results:
- Alexandre Hayward finished one spot off the podium in the men’s C1-3 road cycling race, completing the 71-kilometre course in Clichy-sous-bois in 1:45:09.
- Sprinter Sheriauna Haase qualified for the women’s 200m T47 final (1:43 p.m. ET) after finishing third in her heat with a time of 25.87.