– Shelley Gautier, Charles Moreau, Mike Sametz, and Keely Shaw amongst eight riders set to compete
– Santiago 2023 Parapan Am Video games takes place November 17-26 in Santiago, Chile
OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 25, 2023 /CNW/ – An skilled and completed crew of eight Para cyclists have been nominated to compete for Canada on the Santiago 2023 Parapan Am Video games, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Biking Canada introduced on Monday.
Santiago 2023 Canadian Parapan Am Crew – PARA CYCLING
- Nathan Clement – West Vancouver, BC – T1 (classification)
- Tarek Dahab – Beloeil, QC – C2
- Shelley Gautier – Niagara Falls, ON – T1
- Alexandre Hayward – Quispamsis, NB – C3
- Charles Moreau – Victoriaville, QC – H3
- Mel Pemble – Victoria, BC – C3
- Mike Sametz – Calgary, AB – C3
- Keely Shaw – Midale, SK – C4
The crew is comprised of 4 Paralympians within the sport of Para biking, all of whom have captured Paralympic medals – Shelley Gautier, Charles Moreau, Mike Sametz, and Keely Shaw. Nathan Clement and Mel Pemble are additionally Paralympians, however competed in different sports activities – Para swimming and Para alpine snowboarding, respectively.
“I am thrilled to symbolize Canada on the Parapan Am Video games and have the chance to construct on the outcomes of the 2023 world championships,” mentioned Clement. “Having skilled racing on the 2015 Parapan Am Video games in Toronto for swimming, I am ecstatic to attend one other multi-sport Video games. To get the possibility to race in entrance of loud and passionate crowds solely fuels the hearth to absorb the educational and development wanted because the 2024 season kicks off.”
Gautier is probably the most skilled member of the crew. A 3-time Paralympian (2012, 2016, 2020) and 18-time world champion, she additionally gained a bronze medal on the Rio 2016 Paralympic Video games. She has been to 2 Parapan Am Video games (2011, 2015), with silver medals from each.
Two-time Paralympian (2016, 2020) Moreau was one in every of Canada’s prime riders in Rio with two bronze medals. Additionally a two-time bronze medallist in his sole Parapan Am Video games look in 2015, he has been among the best on the earth in his very aggressive classification for a few years.
Sametz made a profitable return to worldwide competitors this yr after lacking the previous 4 seasons as a result of harm and sickness. He’s a Rio 2016 Paralympian, Paralympic bronze medallist, former world champion, and Toronto 2015 Parapan Am silver medallist.
A Tokyo 2020 Paralympian, Shaw captured Canada’s first medal at these Video games with a bronze within the particular person pursuit. Since making her maiden world championships look in 2018, she has steadily risen the ranks and is now a longtime star.
“Santiago goes to be a wonderful alternative to gauge the place I am at forward of the Paris Paralympics,” mentioned Shaw. “The competitors is certain to be powerful however I am trying ahead to seeing how I stack up, and hopefully bringing residence some {hardware} from Santiago. Performances in Chile will then set the stage for the final push into Paris, the place I hope to higher my outcomes from Tokyo.”
Clement and Pemble each have grow to be forces to look at in solely their second seasons competing on the worldwide Para biking circuit. Clement, who has Parapan Am Video games expertise in Para swimming with a bronze medal in 2015, is now a four-time world championships medallist. For her half, Pemble made a thunderous worlds debut in 2022, posting two gold medals and a world document and hasn’t slowed down since with two extra podiums in 2023.
“I’m thrilled to be chosen for my first Parapan Am Video games,” mentioned Pemble. “As a winter athlete, it was an occasion I seemed on at like a child peering by the window of a sweet store, so to have the ability to expertise them myself is a really thrilling alternative! Coming off a world championships that went so effectively, I hope to hold that success ahead, however there was additionally unfinished enterprise with among the objectives I made, and I plan on rectifying that in these Video games.”
Alexandre Haywardand Tarek Dahabshall be making their main multi-sport Video games debuts. Hayward, who additionally competed in wheelchair basketball at a excessive stage, earned a fifth place at his first world championships look in 2022. That is Dahab’s first yr on the nationwide crew and he has proved he belongs among the many finest on the earth with a fourth place within the time trial at this summer time’s worlds.
This squad got here residence with 10 medals from the 2023 UCI Biking World Championships, held in Glasgow in August. This consists of two world titles – Clement within the males’s T1 street time trial and Pemble within the girls’s C3 Omnium on the observe (not a Parapan Am occasion).
Para street biking on the Parapan Am Video games will happen November 19 and 26, with Para observe biking racing November 23 and 24. The occasion counts in direction of Paralympic Video games qualifying, with riders incomes factors for his or her outcomes. Nation quota spots for Para biking at Paris 2024 shall be primarily based on rankings from varied competitions going down earlier than June 30, 2024.
Dahab, Hayward, Pemble, Sametz, and Shaw will race in each the observe and street competitions with all eight crew members taking part within the street races.
4 athletes shall be making their first Parapan Am Video games appearances – Dahab, Hayward, Pemble, and Shaw – with Clement making his Parapan Am debut within the sport of Para biking.
“I’m so thrilled to welcome all eight Para cyclists to the Canadian Parapan Am Crew,” mentioned Josh Vander Vies, co-chef de mission, Santiago 2023 Canadian Parapan Am Crew. “It is a supremely completed crew that I’m certain will make its presence identified in Santiago. It was very thrilling to comply with alongside their very good outcomes on the world championships this summer time, and I am unable to wait to look at and assist them in individual on the Video games.”
“What an unimaginable group of athletes,” mentioned Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission. “All eight racers are coming off a really profitable summer time of competitors, and whether or not they have been to a number of Paralympic Video games, or that is their first multi-sport Video games, at the moment are heading into Santiago as prime contenders to look at. Congratulations to every athlete on being chosen to symbolize your nation; it will likely be a delight to cheer you on and know that your entire Canadian contingent shall be behind you in Santiago.”
The Santiago 2023 Parapan Am Video games will happen November 17-26, 2023 in Santiago, Chile. Canada is anticipating to ship a crew of roughly 140 athletes.
Previous to being formally named to the Canadian Parapan Am Crew, all nominations are topic to approval by the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
The present record of athletes nominated to the crew could be discovered HERE. The authorised last roster shall be introduced nearer to the beginning of the Video games.
Concerning the Canadian Paralympic Committee: Paralympic.ca
About Biking Canada: CyclingCanada.ca
SOURCE Canadian Paralympic Committee (Sponsorships)
For additional info: Media Contacts, Nicole Watts, Senior Supervisor, Communications & PR, Canadian Paralympic Committee, , 613-462-2700; Ariane Perron, Communications Coordinator and Media Attaché, Para Biking, Biking Canada, , 819-210-3034