Zak Madell, seen competing in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, scored 30 of Canada’s 46 tries en route to a 46-41 victory over the team’s rival United States in Santiago, Chile, on Tuesday. (Shuji Kajiyama/The Associated Press) The Canadian wheelchair rugby team is brimming with confidence at the Parapan Am Games in Santiago, Chile after defeating their American rivals 46-41, securing first place in the preliminary round with an unblemished 5-0 record.
Led by one of the most dominant players in the sport today, Zak Madell scored 30 of Canada’s 46 tries on the way to a 46-41 win over the world’s number-one ranked Americans.
“Those ones always feel good. We’re excited and we want to celebrate a little bit but we’re already looking ahead. We have a semifinal tomorrow,” Madell told CBC Sports after the win.
“This is a long-standing rivalry, so we’re always looking forward to playing this team. Today I think we had a little more energy than them.” Canada will face Brazil in Wednesday’s semifinals. The medal games are on Thursday.
It would seem as though the Canadians are once again on a collision course with the Americans to decide a champion. And there’s a lot at stake.
The winner here not only takes home gold but more importantly clinches a berth to the Paralympics in Paris next summer.
“We had almost everybody out there today and everybody doing their job,” longtime Team Canada player Michael Whitehead said.
He’s been a part of the Canada versus USA rivalry for years.”It goes back a couple decades for me. We have to respect this team and they’re going to bring it. Another big one in a couple of days I hope.”Four years ago the United States won Parapan Am Games gold. Canada won it all at the 2015 Games in Toronto. WATCH | Early […]
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