The 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris commences on Wednesday with the Opening Ceremonies. Canada’s flag bearers are men’s wheelchair basketball player Patrick Anderson of Edmonton, Alberta and Paralympic swimmer Katarina Roxon of Kippens, Newfoundland.
Anderson has won three gold medals in the past at the Paralympic Games. He was victorious at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens and the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Roxon won the gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in the women’s 100m breaststroke.
In all, there are 126 Paralympians for Canada. The Canadians are represented in the team events of women’s goalball, women’s sitting volleyball, men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball, and men’s wheelchair rugby. Team Canada is also sending athletes in the sports of athletics, swimming, archery, badminton, boccia, cycling, equestrian, judo, paracanoeing, paratriathlon, rowing, table tennis, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair tennis.
At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, Canada came away with 21 medals, including five gold medalists. The gold medal winners were swimmer Aurelie Rivard of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (women’s 100m freestyle and women’s 400m freestyle), swimmer Danielle Dorris of Fredericton, New Brunswick (women’s 50m butterfly), shot putter Greg Stewart of Victoria, British Columbia, and Nathan Riech (men’s 1500m). Rivard, Dorris, Stewart and Riech are all returning to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
