An Okotoks wheelchair rugby star helped Canada to a sterling finish on the world stage.
Zak Madel a member of Team Canada won silver at the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup in France on Oct. 22 where he was named the MVP by classification (3.5) at the showcase.
Team Canada carried an undefeated record at the competition into Sunday’s gold medal game where the experienced Team Australia held on for a 53-48 result.
Canada opened round-robin with a 49-48 win over Australia, edged Denmark 50-46, outlasted Great Britain 48-47 and triumphed over the host France 51-50.
Wheelchair rugby has seven sport classes from 0.5 to 3.5, with the 3.5 class featuring athletes with the least impairment. With four athletes on the court during play, teams cannot exceed the 8.0 overall classification.
The podium finish comes during an important cycle for Team Canada with the Parapan Am Games in Santiago, Chile on the horizon next month in South America.
The gold medal team at the Games, which run Nov. 17-23, earns automatic entry into the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
For more information, visit wheelchairrugby.ca.
