RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (September 14, 2016) – Christine Gauthier (Pointe-Claire, QC) and Erica Scarff (Mississauga, ON) have both qualified for the Paralympic finals tomorrow in the first ever Paralympic Games to include Paracanoe events.
“It’s exciting,” said Gauthier of the sport’s debut in the Paralympic Games. “I’m hoping in Canada more people will be joining in. There are a lot of different disabilities so giving more options for sports gives a chance for others to find something.”
Gauthier finished third in her opening heat of the Women’s KL2 200m, then won her semi-final to qualify for tomorrow’s final. Gauthier is a five-time World Champion in Paracanoe. She will race the final tomorrow morning at 9:16 EST at Lagoa Stadium in Rio.
Scarff opened her first Paralympic race with a third place finish in her heat of the Women’s KL3 200m. She finished third in her semi-final to secure a spot in tomorrow’s final taking place at 8:52 a.m. EST.
“I was getting really tired in my semi-final heat. I could see other boats starting to pass me but I just kept fighting,” Scarff commented after her race. “My first goal was to qualify for the final. I’ve done that so I’m going to be happy regardless of where I finish but I’m excited to have a shot to fight for the medals.”
Scarff finished sixth at the last Paracanoe World Championships in May 2016 to qualify the boat for Canada for the Paralympic Games.
Canoe Kayak Canada has been a leader internationally in developing the sport of Paracanoe and steering it towards Paralympic inclusion. Canada hosted the first international conference for Paracanoe in 2008 and the first ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships to include Paracanoe events in Dartmouth, NS in 2009. The ICF’s Paracanoe committee is chaired by Canada’s John Edwards.
Athlete Bios
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. Canoe Kayak Canada has been one of Canada’s top performing summer sports having won an impressive count of 24 Olympic medals. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization which includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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For more information:
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, Canoe Kayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca