More Medal’s At Paralympic Games

Jason Dunkerley and guide runner Josh Karanja won Canada’s fourth track and field medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. “This is very special, I have a great guy here (guide runner Josh Karanja), we’ve been working together for a few years,” said an ecstatic Dunkerley.

The Ottawa duo won bronze in the men’s visually impaired T11 classification 1500-metres in a Canadian record time of 4:07.56. “I was tightening up around the last 100-metres and Josh (Karanja) kept telling me they’re coming, we were able to stay ahead of them at the line.”

The race was won by Kenya’s Samwel Musahi Kimani and guide James Boit in a world record time of 3:58.37. Dunkerley and Karanja will now focus on the T11 5000-metres final which takes place Friday September 7.

In the women’s T54 classification wheelchair 400-metres Diane Roy of Sherbrook, Que., placed fifth in a time of 56.60 seconds. “It was a tough race, again today the top speed just wasn’t there. Sometimes when you want it so bad you aren’t able to relax and that’s what happened today.”

Roy’s next event at these Paralympic Games is tomorrow. The T54 800-metres is set for 10:15am local time (5:15am eastern time).

Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., placed fifth in the men’s T53 wheelchair 100-metres final in a time of 15.31 seconds. Lakatos qualified for the final by winning his heat earlier today in a time of 15.00 seconds.

Also in action was Ottawa’s Josh Cassidy in the T54 wheelchair 1500-metres. Cassidy placed third in his heat in 3:19.54 to automatically qualify for tomorrow’s final.