Canada wins medals in para ice hockey and cross country skiing on final day of 2022 Paralympics

Tyler McGregor (Connor Mah, Wikimedia Commons)

Team Canada won two medals (one silver medal and one bronze medal) on the final day of the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing on Sunday (Saturday night in Canada). Canada lost the gold medal game in para ice hockey to the United States 5-0 to settle for the silver medal. The bronze medal came in the mixed 4×2.5 kilometre cross country skiing event.

In cross country skiing, the Canadian team comprised of Mark Arendz of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Collin Cameron of Bracebridge, Ontario, Emily Young of North Vancouver, British Columbia, and Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Arendz has one arm due to a farming accident. Cameron has arthrogryposis (shortening of the lower limbs). Young has nerve damage in her right arm from a wrestling accident, and Wilkie lost four fingers from one hand in an industrial arts class in junior high school.

Canada posted a third place time of 27 minutes, 0.6 seconds. They reached the podium by 21.3 seconds over Ukraine, which had a fourth place time of 27:21.9. The United States won the gold medal with a time of 25:59.3. China won the silver medal with a time of 26:25.3.

In para ice hockey, China beat South Korea 4-0 in the bronze medal game. Tyler McGregor of Forest, Ontario was the leading scorer for Canada in the tournament as he had five goals and three assists for eight points. He was eighth in scoring overall.

Canada finished in third place in the Paralympic medal standings with 25 medals (eight gold medals, six silver medals and 11 bronze medals). They were behind China at 61 medals and Ukraine at 29 medals. The Canadian flag bearer in the closing ceremonies of the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing was alpine skier Mollie Jepsen of Vancouver, British Columbia. Jepsen won gold in the women’s downhill standing event and the silver medal in the women’s giant slalom standing event.

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