Canada opens with win in wheelchair basketball for good morning on Day 1 of Paralympic competition

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Sept. 8, 2016 /CNW/ - Priscilla Gagné of Sarnia, Ont., will battle for bronze in women's 52 kilos judo later today at the 2016 Paralympic Games.

Gagné lost her opening bout Cherine Abdellaoui of Algeria in the first round then defeated Liudmyla Lohatska of Ukraine in the repechage. The medal round bouts gets underway at 3:30 p.m. local at the Carioca Arena.

In women's wheelchair basketball, Janet McLachlan scored 21 points to lead Canada to a 43-36 victory of Britain in it opening match.

Two Canadian swimmers are headed to finals tonight. Gord Michie of St.Thomas, Ont., posted the seventh fastest time in the men's S14 100-m backstroke to advance to the final slated for 7:04 p.m. Abi Tripp of Kingston, Ont., qualified eighth for the S8 400-m freestyle final set for 5:54 p.m.

RIO DE JANEIRO - What Canada Did on Thursday morning at the 2016 Paralympic Games:

ATHLETICS

Women's T53 100_ Ilana Dupont, Saskatoon, was fourth in her heat. She qualifies for final at 6:54 p.m.

CYCLING

Women's C4 3000 individual pursuit_ Marie-Claude Molnar, Lemoyne, Que., placed fifth in qualifying and does not advance.

Women's C5 3000 individual pursuit_ Nicole Clermont, Laval, Que., placed ninth in qualifying and does not advance.

Men's B 4000 individual pursuit_ Daniel Chalifour, Ste-Thérèse, Que., and his pilot Jean-Michel Lachance, Quebec City, placed ninth in qualifying and do not advance.

JUDO

Women's 52 kilos: Priscilla Gagné, Sarnia, Ont., lost to Cherine Abdellaoui of Algeria in the first round then defeated Liudmyla Lohatska of Ukraine in the repechage to advance to the bronze medal bout at 3:30 p.m. local.

SWIMMING

Women's S8 400 freestyle_ Abi Tripp, Kingston, Ont., placed eighth in heats to advance to final at 5:54 p.m. Sabrina Duchesne, Quebec City and Morgan Bird, Calgary were ninth and 10^th and do not advance.

Men's SB9 100 breaststroke_ James Leroux, Repentigny, Que., placed eighth in heats to advance to final at 6:05 p.m. Isaac Bouckley, Port Hope, Ont., and Alec Elliot, Kitchener, Ont., were ninth and 10^th and do not advance.

Men's S14 100 backstroke_ Gord Michie, St. Thomas, Ont., placed seventh in heats to advance to final at 7:04 p.m.

Men's S5 200 freestyle_Danial Murphy, Bedford, N.S., placed 13^th in heats and does not advance.

Women's S7 100 backstroke_ Tess Routliffe, Caledon, Ont., and Sarah Mehain, Vernon, B.C., were 10^th and 11^th in heats and do not advance.

WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL

Women's preliminaries: Canada defeated Britain 43-36 in its opening game.

SOURCE Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC)

Alison Korn, Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Rio cell: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Martin Richard, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Rio cell: + 55 (21) 99031-7843, Email: [email protected]