Recapping the month in para-sport: August2015
01.09.2015The month was packed with three World Championships and the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games.
World Archery Para Championships
Beijing 20008 Paralympic champion David Drahoninsky landed his first individual world title at the World Archery Para Championships (23-30 August) in Donaueschingen, Germany. The Czech Republic archer won the W1 men’s category. Eighty-two quota places to the Rio 2016 Paralympics were awarded.
Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games
The Parapan America Games (7-15 August) featured 15 sports and a record 1,607 athletes from 28 countries. Among the highlights were Cuba’s Omara Durand emerging as the fastest female para-athlete, and Brazil flooding the podiums, taking home the most medals with 257 (109 golds).
Quick hits:
Athletics: USA’s Jarryd Wallace breaks 100m T44 world record
Football 5: Brazil retains Parapan Am crown
Powerlifting: Amalia Perez sets world record at TO2015
Swimming: Brazil wins six golds on final day, Canada’s Aurelie Rivard breaks world record
Wheelchair rugby: Canada beats USA in thriller
Wheelchair tennis: Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez wins men’s singles final, Brazil’s Natalia Mayara captures women’s title
2015 ICF Canoe Sprint and Para-Canoe World Championships
Great Britain’s Jeanette Chippington extended her Worlds medal winning streak to nine after taking the women’s KL1 200m final as the Para-Canoe World Championships wrapped up in Milan, Italy, on 21 August.
UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships
Italy road away with the most medals (nine) as the Road World Championships concluded on 2 August in Nottwil, Switzerland. The Italian trio of Alex Zanardi, Luca Mazzone and Francesca Porcellato each won a pair of golds
IBSA Blind Football European Championships
Turkey won the crown at the 2015 IBSA Blind Football European Championships, defeating Russia 1-0 as the event concluded on 29 August in Hereford, Great Britain. Defending champions Spain defeated Great Britain 1-0 for the bronze.
3rd Taichung Table Tennis Open for the Disabled 2015
Around 108 players from 11 countries gathered in Taichung, Chinese Taipei, for the para-table tennis competition. Thailand came away with the most victories with seven golds, one more than Chinese Taipei. Japan rounded out the medals table with four golds.
2015 Rio de Janeiro ITU World Para-Triathlon Event
Germany’s Martin Schulz overcame a slow start to win the PT4 men’s category at the test event on 1 August in Brazil, keeping him a front contender ahead of Rio 2016, where para-triathlon will make its Paralympic debut.
Later in the month, the ITU World Para-Triathlon Event came stateside to Detroit, where the US women swept the PT2 podium led by US Army veteran Melissa Stockwell.
IPC Alpine Skiing Southern Hemisphere Cup
The 2015-2016 IPC Alpine Skiing season kicked off in Queenstown, New Zealand, which featured men and women’s slalom and giant slalom events. Home favourite Adam Hall started the season off right with gold in the slalom.