The cauldron was extinguished Sunday in Tokyo to end the most unique Paralympic Games in history B次元官网网址� and crossing the finish line on a Games fraught with uncertainty was a major victory in itself.
Led by swimmer Aurelie Rivard and wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos, Canada captured 21 medals, including five gold, in Tokyo, eight less than the Canadian team won five years ago in Rio.
But with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 careful approach to the COVID-19 pandemic that made training difficult, and competing nearly impossible, over the past year-and-a-half, Canada didnB次元官网网址檛 set a medal goal in Tokyo. A shared sentiment among athletes was an overwhelming appreciation for being able to compete at all.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 so fortunate that the country of Japan decided to go through with everything,B次元官网网址� said middle-distance runner Nate Riech, who won gold in the 1,500 metres in his Paralympic debut, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 final medal in Tokyo. B次元官网网址淵ou never know if youB次元官网网址檙e going to be as fit or injury-free in three years time (for the Paris Paralympics), your next opportunity.B次元官网网址�
Lakatos, a 41-year-old from Dorval, Que., carried CanadaB次元官网网址檚 flag into the closing ceremony dressed in the Canadian team denim jacket and white jeans. Lakatos raced to four silver medals in his six races, capping his gruelling schedule with a fourth-place finish in the marathon just hours before arriving at the closing festivities.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his congratulations to CanadaB次元官网网址檚 athletes.
B次元官网网址淥ver the past two weeks, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 best Paralympians went for the gold, and showed the world what it means to be Canadian,B次元官网网址� he said in a statement. B次元官网网址淭he victory of these Paralympians is a victory for all Canadians B次元官网网址� for close friends, family, and their communities, to all those who watched from home.
B次元官网网址淭oday, as we watched the maple leaf flag fly at the closing ceremony, we were all given a moment of pride and reflection on what we can achieve with hard work and perseverance. Once again, congratulations to Team Canada. You have made us all so proud.B次元官网网址�
Rivard, a 25-year-old from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., won five medals, including two gold despite the fact the Games marked her first time competing since the pandemic began. Pandemic protocols prevented her from even racing against teammates in practice.
B次元官网网址淎thletes have fought so hard to be here. They have had to adapt. WeB次元官网网址檝e had athletes create training environments in their homes. ItB次元官网网址檚 been a hard, hard year,B次元官网网址� said Stephanie Dixon, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 chef de mission in Tokyo, and a 19-time Paralympic medallist.
B次元官网网址淢edals are great, but that is not the best measure of success for these Games.B次元官网网址�
More than 4,500 athletes from 162 countries competed in the biggest Paralympics in history, a remarkable feat considering the immense challenges created by the pandemic. A collective concern amid Paralympians was that a COVID-19 outbreak at the Olympics a month earlier would cancel the Paralympics completely.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e all pinching ourselves a little bit,B次元官网网址� Dixon said. B次元官网网址淭okyo 2020 has done an incredible job to create a safe environment for our athletes, as well as an environment where they could perform to the best of their ability.
B次元官网网址淚 am just very impressed at the level of execution for these Games, considering what weB次元官网网址檙e experiencing globally, and whatB次元官网网址檚 happening even in Japan, I felt like we were bubble-wrapped.B次元官网网址�
Nearly eight years to the day that Tokyo was awarded the Olympics and Paralympics, both Games were held during a state of emergency amid surging COVID-19 cases in Japan. Events were held in arenas void of fans.
B次元官网网址淲hat more can I say than B次元官网网址楢rigato Tokyo,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee. B次元官网网址淭ogether against the odds, we did it. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games have not just been historic, they have been fantastic.
B次元官网网址淚n 12 magical days, athletes gave the world confidence, happiness and hope. Athletes broke records, athlete won hearts, athletes opened minds, importantly athletes changed lives.B次元官网网址�
Canada, long a front-runner in the Paralympic movement, didnB次元官网网址檛 win a medal in a team sport in Tokyo. The womenB次元官网网址檚 sitting volleyball came the closest, finishing a best-ever fourth. Rivard and Lakatos will both take time to decide whether to continue competing through the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
But Karen OB次元官网网址橬eill, the CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, believes the teamB次元官网网址檚 future is bright. Some 55 athletes in Tokyo were making their Paralympic debut, including Riech. Swimmer Danielle Dorris, who won two medals including a gold, is just 18 years old.
B次元官网网址淲e went to great efforts to say we were not defining success by just the medal count on these Games,B次元官网网址� OB次元官网网址橬eill said. B次元官网网址淥ur circumstances for both qualification, competition and classification were quite different from many of the other countries this last 18 months. We had restrictions, and for all the right reasons, in Canada.
B次元官网网址淎nd if I look at the top-five, top-eight finishes in addition to the medals, thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of transition going on now, so for the longer-term, especially given the year weB次元官网网址檝e come out of, this bodes really well for both Paris and Los Angeles (in 2028).B次元官网网址�
The Games closed with a festive ceremony entitled B次元官网网址淗armonious Cacophony,B次元官网网址� capped off with a blast of fireworks that spun around the top of the National Stadium.
A big positive was these Paralympics set broadcasting records for hours of coverage.
B次元官网网址淪o, whenever I looked up at the empty stands, each seat to me represented about 1,000 people that were viewing it from home which was pretty special,B次元官网网址� Dixon said.
B次元官网网址淵ou didnB次元官网网址檛 feel solo holding that flag in the stands for sure,B次元官网网址� OB次元官网网址橬eill added. B次元官网网址淚 would say all of Canada was with us.B次元官网网址�
The one huge negative on both the Olympics and Paralympics was the absence of fans due to the pandemic. Protocols also prevented family members from travelling to Japan.
The athletes, however, were united in their praise for the Japanese people.
B次元官网网址淭hank you to Japan. TheyB次元官网网址檝e done such a great job, and without them, athletes like us who train our whole lives wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be able to do this,B次元官网网址� Lakatos said of the organizers and volunteers.
He had kind words for the Tokyo residents who werenB次元官网网址檛 able to participate in the Games.
B次元官网网址淚 got back to the athletes village at around 10:30 at night (after his silver medal in the 800 metres), I was at the side parking lot, and there were families, young kids just waiting for a wave,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey didnB次元官网网址檛 even know who would be coming into the village.
B次元官网网址淪o, it would have been incredible without COVID B次元官网网址� but even with COVID, it was.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian Paralympic Committee now pivots to the 2022 Beijing Games, which open March 4.
OB次元官网网址橬eill said CanadaB次元官网网址檚 winter athletes have faced similar challenges around the pandemic as their summer counterparts. She added, however, that Tokyo was a huge learning experience and the team will travel to Beijing armed with much more knowledge around safety and protocols.
B次元官网网址淚t was nice to get to Tokyo and see what the day-to-day reality was,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址渟o, I think that leaves everybody with a more positive kind of view towards plans and lessons learned for Beijing.B次元官网网址�
Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press
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