Para sport in review: April 2017

2017 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool

Canada won their record fourth world title in Gangneung, South Korea, following a 4-1 victory over North American rivals USA. The hosts completed the podium, rounding off an impressive performance.

The top three will now advance to the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games alongside Norway and Italy.

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World Para Athletics Grand Prix

The second Grand Prix of the year took place in Tunis, Tunisia, from 21-23 April. Local track and field athletes dominated the competition and a world record was broken.

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Sao Paulo, Brazil, staged the third Grand Prix between 21-23 April. Brazilian discus throwers Thiago Paulino (F57) and Alessandro Rodrigo (F11) set new world records in their respective men’s categories.

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World Para Swimming World Series

Brazilian swimmers dominated the event, held in Sao Paulo between 21-23 April, with many of them guaranteeing themselves places at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City.

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Sheffield, Great Britain, hosted the biggest World Para Swimming World series so far, with over 300 swimmers from more than 20 countries competing. Three world records were broken in the four-day long event.

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2017 World Para Sport Shooting Grand Prix

Slovakia’s Rio 2016 Paralympic champion Veronika Vadovicova delivered one of the stand-out performances in Szczecin, Poland, winning both the R2 (women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1) and R3 (mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1) events.

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Canoe South American Championships

Brazilian athletes dominated the event in Paipa, Colombia, on 22 April, winning five of the six events contested.

Para Table Tennis (PTT) Oceania Regional Championships

Rio 2016 Paralympian Merewalesi Roden won Fiji’s only Para table tennis title on home soil in Suva, whilst Australian players claimed eight remaining titles.

ITU World Paratriathlon Series

Australians Emily Tapp and Bill Chaffey excelled at the opening race of the World Paratriathlon Series on home soil in Gold Coast, achieving qualification for next year’s Commonwealth Games.

African Para Taekwondo Open

Host nation Rwanda topped the podium in Kigali from 1-2 April. The event gathered 16 nations and a special refugee team.

Boston Marathon

Switzerland sealed a double victory through Marcel Hug and Manuela Schar in the men’s and women’s wheelchair events, respectively.

London Marathon, Marathon World Cup

The home crowd celebrated David Weir’s record seventh win at the London Marathon, on 23 April. US Para athlete Ray Martin also stood out, notching up his third consecutive London marathon.

ITF Super Series

Stefan Olsson and Diede de Groot won the first Super Series singles titles of their career at the SA Open in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 14 April. Home crowd’s favourite Lucas Sithole successfully defended the quad singles title.

IBSA Football 5-a-side European Qualifier and Division 2 Championships

Romania was crowned champion on home soil in Bacau after defeating Georgia 1-0 in the final. Both teams qualified for August’s European Championships in Berlin, Germany.

Para Dance Sport International Competition

Ukrainian dancers shined in Cujik, the Netherlands, winning 11 events between 14-16 April. Full results can be found on World Para Dance Sport’s website.

Annual Para equestrian competition in Deauville, France

Paralympic equestrian medallists Stinna Tange Kaastrup and Susanne Jensby Sunesen highlighted a successful Danish showing at this event, which concluded on 23 April.