Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal broke a world record on Saturday to highlight a productive day for Canada at the Meet in the Heat track and field competition for athletes with a disability.
Petitclerc clocked three minutes and 24.23 seconds in the semifinal of the women's 1,500-metre wheelchair race for paraplegics to lower her previous world mark. She went on to take the final in 3:25.41.
Canada's Chantal Petitclerc, pictured in 2005, improved her own world record on Saturday by clocking a time of three minutes, 24.23 seconds in the 1,500-metre race.
(Jon Super/Associated Press)
Petitclerc also snagged gold in the 200, 400 and 800-metre races, establishing season-best times in the 400 and 800 and clocking a 52.89 in the 400 — the second-best time in history.
"I'm not surprised with Chantal's performances," said Canadian coach Jean Laroche. "She is off to one of her best starts and the conditions here were ideal. The field was strong, there was no wind and it was hot.
"This is the track to set world records. It's very fast."
Dean Bergeron broke his world record in the men's 200-metre wheelchair race for quadriplegics. He clocked 30.30 seconds to eclipse the 30.60 mark held by Andre Beaudoin of Cowansville, Que. Beaudoin was second in Saturday's race.
Besides the 200, Bergeron also won the 400 and was second in the 100 and 800.
"Dean is extremely dedicated," said Laroche. "He missed some training this year to focus on work. But he trained so hard last year that it didn't it take him long to catch up."
In the women's 5,000-metre wheelchair race for paraplegics, Amanda McGrory of the U.S. took the gold in a world record time of 11:39.43. Diane Roy of Sherbrooke, Que., was second in 11:40.08, which was also under the previous world mark and is now a Canadian record.
Roy was also third in the 1,500 in a personal best 3:05.89 and third in the 800 in a season best 1:51.84. She was also fourth in the 400.
Michelle Stillwell of Nanoose Bay, B.C. posted wins in the women's 100, 200, 400 and 800 wheelchair races for quads. Her time of 1:16.24 in the 400 was the second best ever.
Wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., earned a victory in the T-53 disability category 100-metre, clocking a Canadian record 15.05 seconds. He also took silver in the 200 and bronze in the 400.
In the same category, Eric Gauthier of Montreal broke an 11-year-old national mark in the 800-metre, clocking 1:39.39 for fourth spot. He added a bronze in the 100 in a season best 15.80. He was also fourth in the 200 and 400.
Josh Cassidy of Oakville, Ont., was sixth in the men's 5,000 for paraplegics, clocking a Canadian record 9:58.13. The top six racers, including Cassidy, all went under the previous world record time.
