Team Canada left an indelible mark on the first day of the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games. The para-cyclists embarked on an extraordinary journey in the scorching heat of Calles de Isla de Maipo. A thunderous display of pedal power unfolded two Canadian cyclist with all their grit and determination tore through the 10 km long challenging course bagging not one, not two, but four medals.

The roar of the Chilean crowd echoed through as the team marked a memorable start to the competition. The sunlit mountains of the landscapes stood witness to a remarkable feat. It seems Team Canada has managed to ignite a spark for the season already with their unforgettable rides leaving spectators at the edge of their seats. Are you also ready to embark on this journey for Team Canada in this season of twists and turns?

Cycling glory for Team Canada

Canada was spot on right from the start and that was reflected in the way their athletes executed the events. In the C1-5 category, Alexandre Hayward and Mike Sametz made their presence felt. While Hayward comes from Quispamsis, Sametz hailed from his hometown in Calgary. The two cyclists displayed impractical performance to emerge as the top athletes of the events. As both Sametz and Hayward were ecstatic about their win, Hayward was seen voicing out his joy. 

The cyclist stated, “Mikey and I spent a week together in Bromont leading up to this. We’ve kind of been joking around that it would be nice to stand on the podium together and I think to do it on the first day is pretty special. This was a unique time trial. Usually when you leave the start-finish area the fans sort of die off a bit but they were all over the course, which made it a lot of fun.”  Apart from this, Nathan Clement, the reigning champion of the world, continued the merry display and came out on top for the T1-2 categories. However, Canada was not the only country to shine on the opening day.

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Other notable mentions from Day 1

As Sametz and Hayward clinched the top spots, Lauro Ceasar Moro won the bronze medal. He clocked an impressive 44.92 seconds, just a tad shy of Hayward. In the T1-2 event, Juan Betancourt from Colombia clinched the third spot. Promising talent Shelley Gautier ended at the fifth position with figures of 18:42.12 m. 

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Keely Shaw, the talented Paralympian fell short of clinching the bronze by a whisker. Shaw recorded 15:34.08 and missed the third place by a mere 0.6 seconds. All in all, Team Canada’s dominant display was the highlight of Day 1. Let’s hope the team continues to carry on with the good work in the coming days too

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