Running

Victoria’s Cody Fournie strikes gold once more, units Paralympic file in males’s T51 100m

September 7, 2024
Ibrahim

Simply days after profitable Canada’s first gold medal on the 2024 Paralympic Video games in para athletics, Victoria’s Cody Fournie discovered himself again atop the rostrum on Friday night time. Fournie gained his second gold of the Video games within the males’s T51 100m, setting a brand new Paralympic file of 19.63 seconds.

This victory not solely marked Fournie’s second gold, but in addition set a brand new Canadian T51 file. His achievement introduced Canada’s para athletics medal tally to seven, together with 4 golds.

Earlier within the week, the 35-year-old athlete clinched gold within the T51 males’s 200m, crossing the road in a private better of 37.64 seconds.

Fournie’s path to turning into a Canadian Paralympic star isn’t a shock. He has been a aggressive wheelchair athlete most of his life, competing for the Canadian nationwide para rugby staff earlier than transitioning to wheelchair racing through the pandemic. He determined to change to para athletics after a turning level in his rugby profession left him unsure about his future. With steerage from former Canadian Olympian Geoff Harris, Fournie has embraced wheelchair racing, and the choice has paid off along with his Paralympic gold medal rely rising to 2.

Earlier this 12 months, Fournie gained a silver medal within the T51 100m on the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan. The T51 classification consists of athletes with varied disabilities, together with spinal wire accidents and cerebral palsy. Fournie turned a quadriplegic following an accident at age 11.

The Paralympic Video games will proceed till Sunday, Sept. 8.