Great Britain's paracanoe team delivered its best ever Paralympic Games performance by adding two golds, a silver and a bronze medal to the gold and two bronze medals won yesterday, finishing top of the medal table with seven medals overall.
Great Britain’s paracanoe team won an historic gold and two bronze medals on the first day of finals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in wet and grey conditions at the Sea Forest Waterway.
It was an exciting morning of racing as the Great Britain Paracanoe team made their Tokyo 2020 Paralympics debuts in grey, wet and overcast conditions at the Sea Forest Waterway.
Eight athletes representing ParalympicsGB are set to take to the water as the paracanoe events at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games commence on Thursday 2 September.
For Stuart Wood his Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 is the culmination of almost decade of work. Wood began paddling at Bath University in 2012 and “immediately fell in love with the sport,” he explains.
With gold medals from eight World Championships and one Paralympic Games, Emma Wiggs MBE, is one of paracanoeing’s undisputed greats. Having won gold in the KL2 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games where the sport made its debut, Emma will aim to make history once again as she competes in both the KL2 and new VL2 event.
By Rio 2016 ‘Dangerous’ Dave Phillipson knew that his journey with tennis was over and for the former British number one, it was time to seek out a new opportunity and he set his sights on canoeing. Phillipson is positive ahead of Tokyo and, though he says there’s still bit of the 21-year-old ‘Dangerous Dave’ inside him, is now a much calmer athlete and channels his nerves into a source of strength.
When the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio drew to a close, the only canoeing experience Laura Sugar had was paddling about on holiday. Yet this summer she is travelling to Tokyo to represent her country in the KL3 with the aim of bringing home a Paralympic medal.
Before trying out for the paracanoe squad, Rob Oliver had never been in a boat and, by his own admission, “could barely swim.” However, in spite of his lack of aquatic experience, he sufficiently impressed the British Canoeing coaches at at Talent ID session. Fast forward ten years and he is set to compete in his second Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Henshaw first realised her Paralympic dream as a 21-year-old at Beijing 2008 and then again at London 2012 and Rio 2016, winning a silver medal in London and a bronze in Rio. However, by Rio, she felt that her sporting career might be drawing to a close and her move to paracanoe has been a successful one.
After a year tainted by personal tragedy, Ian Marsden has had to learn to let go and focus on Tokyo. It is perhaps because of his experience across a number of sports that Marsden has been able to stay focused during his preparation for the postponed Paralympic Games.
‘Legend,’ ‘Oracle’ and ‘The Queen of Canoe’ are just some of the descriptions of Jeanette Chippington, MBE, given by her fellow canoeists. With 12 Paralympic medals in swimming, a KL1 gold in Rio 2016, as well as a boatload of international paracanoe championship medals, it is easy to see why.
