Track cycling is Canada’s second strongest Paralympic sport so far

Canada’s Tokyo Paralympic paracycling squad is about halfway through their events and the podium finishes are rolling in.

As of Sunday, Canada’s paracyclists have already won three medals, the second-highest number of medals for any Canadian Paralympic discipline at the Games so far.

Three medals

Canadians won track medals three days in a row at the Izu Velodrome. In her Paralympic Games debut Kate O’Brien took the silver medal in the C4 500-metre time trial on Friday. O’Brien was second fastest to Kadeena Fox of Great Britain, who posted a time of 34.433—a new world record. O’Brien stopped the clock at 35.439.

REALTED: Canada’s Kate O’Brien earns silver in Tokyo Paralympics C4 500-metre time trial

On Thursday (day two of the Paralympics), Tristen Chernove grabbed the silver medal in the men’s C1 individual pursuit, also finishing just behind a new world record (3:35.954) set by Mikhail Astashov of the Russian Paralympic Committee.

Canada’s first medal of the Tokyo Paralympic Games came from Keely Shaw, who earned a bronze medal in the women’s C4 3,000-metre individual pursuit.

Canadians have won eleven medals so far at these Games. At the end of day five, a pair of disqualifications left the Canadian women’s swimming relay team with an unexpected bronze medal, bringing Canada’s swimming medal count to four.

Canadian riders add to the count with the two silver and one bronze track cycling medals. Canadians have also earned two athletics podiums, a judo silver and a triathlon bronze.

There is still much more cycling to come at the Tokyo Paralympics, as the athletes head outide to the Fuji Speedway Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. Canadians will compete in the road race and time trials in the ‘H’ (handcycle), ‘T’ (Tricycle), and ‘C’ (standard bicycle) categories.