Athletes Nominated to the London 2012 Canadian Paralympic Team in Judo, Shooting and Wheelchair Fencing

OTTAWA, July 25, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) Judo Canada, the Shooting Federation of Canada and the Canadian Fencing Federation are pleased to announce the athletes nominated to the Paralympic Judo, Shooting and Wheelchair Fencing teams for the London 2012 Paralympic Games set for August 29 to September 9.

"These three sports are all small in numbers, but definitely mighty in their medal potential," said Team Canada's Chef de Mission, Gaétan Tardif. "These nominated athletes include both Games veterans and rookies, and I'm very much looking forward to cheering them on in London as they compete with pride for Canada."

Paralympic Judo

Judo Canada has nominated three athletes, all of whom won bronze medals at the 2011 Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, under the guidance of Head Coach Tom Thomson (Hometown: Ancaster, Ont., Residence: Brantford, Ont.)

The judo athletes are Justin Karn in 60kg (Hometown: Fergus, Ont., Residence: Kitchener, Ont.), Timothy Rees in -100kg (Hometown: Williams Lake, BC; Residence: Victoria, BC) and Tony Walby in 100+kg (Hometown: Ottawa, Ont., Residence: Ottawa, Ont.).

Paralympic Judo is a sport for athletes with a visual impairment. All three athletes will be looking for the podium in London in their first Paralympic appearances.

Karn is a featured athlete in the Canadian Paralympic Committee's Super Athletes marketing campaign and has been nicknamed, "The Badger." To view his vignette, visit www.paralympic.ca/superathletes.

Paralympic Shooting

The Shooting Federation of Canada has nominated two athletes: Christos Trifonidis (Hometown and Residence: Vancouver, BC) and Doug Blessin (Hometown: Tri-City Area, BC and Residence: Port Coquitlam, BC). They are coached by Rick Ward (Hometown: Middletown, NS; Residence: Kanata, ON).

For Trifonidis, the veteran on the team, London will be his sixth Paralympic Games. He had fourth-place finishes at both Beijing in 2008 and Barcelona in 1992.

Blessin is a former wheelchair rugby player who began competing internationally in shooting in 2010. London will be Blessin's first Paralympic Games appearance.

Wheelchair Fencing

The Canadian Fencing Federation has nominated two athletes: Pierre Mainville (Hometown and Residence: St-Colomban, Que.) and Sylvie Morel (Hometown: Westmount, Que.; Residence: Pincourt, Que.) They are coached by Iulian Badea (Hometown: Bucharest, Romania; Residence: Candiac, Que.)

Mainville, ranked tenth in the world, was Canada's first world championship medallist in wheelchair fencing in 2010. The father of two competed at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, placing ninth in epée and 15th in sabre. He will compete in both epée and sabre in London.

Mainville is featured in the Canadian Paralympic Committee's Super Athletes marketing campaign and has been nicknamed "The Perfectionist." To view his vignette, visit www.paralympic.ca/superathletes.

Morel, the first Canadian athlete to fence in a wheelchair, competed at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, finishing ninth in epée and 11^th in foil. The 12-year national team veteran enjoys the sport so much that she opened a fencing school in her region to inspire a new generation of athletes to give it a try. Morel has been the Pan Am Champion in epée since 1999. In London, she will compete in epée.

About Team Canada in London

The Canadian Paralympic Team will be officially announced on Tuesday, August 14.

Canada expects to bring about 150 athletes to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, competing in 15 sports, with the goal of finishing in the top eight nations in the gold medal count among the 174 participating countries.

View the latest Canadian Paralympic Team nominations and Paralympic Games news here: http://www.paralympic.ca/en/London-2012/2012-News.html

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 46 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

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SOURCE: CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE (CPC)

or to request athlete or coach interviews, please contact:

Alison Korn
Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Tel: [phone] ext. 243
Cell: 613-298-4927
[email protected]

Marie-Hélène Cayer
Senior Coordinator, Marketing and Communication
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Tel: [phone], ext 227
Cell: 613 293-3358
[email protected]