Canada's Chantal Petitclerc, left, edges past China's Liu Wenjun to win the women's 100-metre T54 race on Wednesday in Beijing. (Ng Han Guan/Associated Press)

Canadian wheelchair racers Chantal Petitclerc and Dean Bergeron won gold medals at the Paralympics in Beijing on Wednesday.

Montreal's Petitclerc withstood a charge from a pair of Chinese competitors to win the women's 100-metre T54 classification for wheelchair athletes in a time of 16.15 seconds at China's National Stadium.

It was the 17th career medal for Petitclerc, the most decorated Canadian Paralympian ever. Wednesday's victory also gave Petitclerc her ninth career gold medal.

Petitclerc will be looking to collect more medals, as she's competing in the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 later this week in Beijing.

The Quebec native had a Michael Phelps-type performance at the 2004 Athens Games after winning five gold medals — in the 100-metre, 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 events.

Bergeron, of St-Augustin de Desmautes, Que., won the men's 200 metres T52 classification with a Paralympic record time of 30.81 seconds.

Bergeron, 39, regains the 200 title he won back at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics.

Andre Beaudoin of Montreal was fourth in 32.07. Beaudoin captured the gold at the Athens Games in the same event but failed to defend his Paralympic title in Beijing.

In the women's 400-metre T53 wheelchair final, Ilana Duff from Saskatoon placed sixth in a Canadian record time of 58.93.

Barwick wins equestrian gold

Also Wednesday, Canadian Lauren Barwick won her second individual medal of the Games. She placed first in the individual freestyle test - grade II, finishing ahead of Felicity Coulthard of Great Britain and Germany's Britta Naepel.

On Monday, the Langley, B.C., native won a silver in the individual championships test - grade II.