SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (July 8, 2019) – The 2019 Para Pan American Championships were an incredible success for Canoe Kayak Canada Para paddlers. All four athletes who competed reached the podium, for a combined total of seven medals for Canada. The event was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on July 6th.
2016 Rio Paralympian Erica Scarff (Balmy Beach, ON) was the only gold medal winner for Canada taking first place in the women’s KL3 500m event, followed by a silver medal in the 200m event. “Brazil hosted a wonderful event. I was excited to race 500m for the first time internationally,” said Scarff. “Even though it is not a Paralympic event, I am still very proud to have been able to claim the gold for Canada. The whole team had an impressive showing and being part of a supportive team makes the whole process much more enjoyable.”
Trinity Tratch (Calgary, AB) won double silver medals in men’s 200m and 500m KL2, and Andrea Nelson (Balmy Beach, ON) won bronze in women’s KL2 500m as well as silver in 200m. Mike Trauner (Ottawa River, ON) completed the medals for Canada with an impressive bronze medal performance in the men’s VL3 500m.
“This event was a great event to use as a tune up for the World Championships in August. Canadian athletes showed grit and resilience to pull off great performances. We had some long travel days and other challenges, but they pulled through when it counted. We now have six weeks of training back in Montreal to sharpen up our racing.” Said Marc Creamer, Canoe Kayak Canada Paracanoe Head Coach.
For a full list of results, click here.
The Paracanoe team will be competing in the 2019 ICF Paracanoe World Championships in Szeged, Hungary from August 21st-25th.
Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.
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About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that 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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Laurel MacAdam
Communications Intern
Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead