- The men's and women's rosters feature 20
returning athletes from Tokyo
2020
- Paris 2024
Paralympic Games takes place August 28 to
September 8
OTTAWA,
ON, July 15, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canadian
Paralympic Committee and Wheelchair Basketball Canada officially
announced today the athletes nominated to the men's and women's
teams set to represent Canada in
wheelchair basketball at the Paris
2024 Paralympic Games in August.
Paris 2024 Canadian
Paralympic Team – WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL (WOMEN)
- Kady Dandeneau –
Pender Island, BC
- Sofia Fassi-Fehri – Montreal, QC
- Melanie Hawtin – Oakville,
ON
- Desiree Isaac-Pictou – Eel
River Bar First Nation, NB
- Bethany Johnson –
Winnipeg, MB
- Rosalie Lalonde – Saint-Clet, QC
- Puisand Lai – Toronto,
ON
- Tara Llanes – North
Vancouver, BC
- Cindy Ouellet – Quebec
City, QC
- Tamara Steeves –
Mississauga, ON
- Élodie Tessier –
Saint-Germain de Grantham, QC
- Arinn Young – Legal, AB
All 12 athletes who won silver at the 2023 Parapan American
Games in Santiago are returning
for the Paralympic Games.
The squad qualified for the Paris Games with a commanding 88-30 victory
over Algeria at the Women's IWBF
Repechage Tournament in Osaka,
Japan in April. Canada
finished fifth at the 2022 world championships in
Dubai and fifth at
the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
"We are excited to announce our roster for the Paris Paralympic
Games," said Michèle Sung, head coach of the Senior Women's
National Team. "Over the past few months, our team has shown
incredible dedication, progress, and commitment to improving daily.
Their hard work and determination have them prepared to compete at
the highest level on the world stage in Paris."
Nine athletes who represented Canada at the Tokyo Games will compete in Paris, including captains Cindy Ouellet and Tara
Llanes. Kady Dandeneau,
Puisand Lai, Élodie Tessier and Llanes will be competing at
their second Paralympic Games, while Bethany Johnson,
Desiree Isaac-Pictou and
Sofia Fassi-Fehri will make their
Games debuts in Paris.
Arinn Young, Melanie Hawtin and Rosalie Lalonde will compete in their third
Games, and Tamara Steeves will make
her fourth appearance with the Canadian Paralympic Team.
"We have a really good group," said Ouellet, who is headed to
her fifth summer Games. "We've got everything physically and
mentally. We've got a mix of fast athletes and experienced
athletes. I think we have a good team all around to compete well.
We're going into this summer confident."
Canada will compete in Pool A
in Paris against Great Britain, China and Spain. The women open the tournament against
China on August 29.
"The coaches have changed the mentality in our team's core,"
Ouellet said. "We just want to prove that we're not a fifth-place
team and can reach that final game."
Paris 2024 Canadian
Paralympic Team – WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL (MEN)
- Patrick Anderson –
Fergus, ON
- Vincent Dallaire – Quebec
City, QC
- Reed De'Aeth – Sherwood
Park, AB
- Nik Goncin – Regina, SK
- Bo Hedges – Wonowon, BC
- Colin Higgins –
Rothesay, NB
- Chad Jassman – Calgary,
AB
- Lee Melymick – Toronto,
ON
- Tyler Miller – Kitchener, ON
- Blaise Mutware – Toronto,
ON
- Garrett Ostepchuk – Regina,
SK
- Jonathan Vermette – Sherbrooke, QC
Eleven members of the team that competed at the Tokyo Paralympic
Games are returning for Paris,
including captains Bo Hedges and
Nik Goncin. Veteran Patrick Anderson will make his sixth Paralympic
appearance, while Tyler Miller will
participate in his fourth Games.
"We have an exciting roster heading to Paris with a good mix of experience and
talent," said Matteo Feriani, Senior
Men's National Team head coach. "Our athletes are hungry and have a
lot of desire to show up at the highest level in the toughest
competition ever faced in wheelchair basketball."
Vincent Dallaire, Colin Higgins, Lee
Melymick, Blaise Mutware, and Garrett Ostepchuk
will compete in their second Games. Reed
De'Aeth is the rookie on the roster making his Paralympic
debut, and Chad Jassman and
Jonathan Vermette will make their
third appearance.
Canada qualified for the
Paralympic Games with a thrilling 72-60 victory over Italy at the Men's IWBF Repechage Tournament
in Antibes, France in April. The
men finished eighth at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, sixth at the
2022 world championships, and won a bronze medal in Santiago at the 2023 Parapan American
Games.
"It's cool to qualify for the Paralympics no matter how you do
it, and that added an extra layer – winning that quarterfinal and
being in that scenario at the repechage tournament," said Hedges,
who is headed to his fifth Games. "It was great to qualify, get to
Paris, and now be one of the top
eight teams playing for a medal at the Paralympics."
The men will compete in Pool A against Great Britain, Germany, and France in Paris.
Canada opens the Games against the host France on August
30.
"It's always amazing to play the host team in the tournament; we
get them first, that'll be a neat experience," Hedges added. "There
will be so much energy, and it'll be a lot of fun to play them. The
group itself – there are no easy teams, no easy group. All eight
teams are going to be a challenge, so we'll have a bunch of tough
games in the round-robin and then see how the quarterfinals go.
It's not an easy go, but it'll be fun."
The wheelchair basketball tournaments will take place
August 29 to September 8 at Bercy
Arena in Paris. The preliminary
rounds conclude September 2, with the
men's quarterfinals set for September
3 and the women's quarterfinals a day later.
"A huge congratulations to all 24 wheelchair basketball athletes
nominated to compete for Canada at
the Games," said Karolina
Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. "This is
such an incredible group of athletes, with so many experienced and
decorated Paralympians as well as several exciting athletes headed
to their first Games. It's going to be so exciting to cheer them on
in Paris."
"I am so pleased to welcome both the women's and men's
wheelchair basketball teams to the Canadian Paralympic Team," said
Josh Vander Vies, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. "The
wheelchair basketball tournaments in Paris are going to be so fierce, competitive,
and exciting, and I know both squads will be ready to get out on
the court. We wish them the best of luck and the entire country
will be behind them."
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
will take place August 28 to September
8 in Paris, France.
Canada is expecting to send a team
of approximately 130 athletes.
Prior to being officially named to the Canadian Paralympic Team,
all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Paralympic
Committee. The current list of nominated athletes can be found
HERE. The approved final roster will be announced closer to the
start of the Games.
About the Canadian Paralympic
Committee: Paralympic.ca
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada:
WheelchairBasketball.ca
SOURCE Canadian Paralympic Committee (Sponsorships)