Wheelchair racer Smeenk grabs bronze for Canada's 1st medal at Para athletics worlds

Wheelchair racer Austin Smeenk of Oakville, Ont., has medalled at a second straight Para athletics world championships, taking bronze in the men's 400-metre T34 final on a hot and humid Monday in New Delhi.

Smeenk's time of 49.43 seconds was nearly one second off his 48.50 season best but good enough to keep Ali Radi Arshid of Qatar off the podium by 9-100ths of a second for Canada's first medal in India. Smeenk's personal best is 48.06 and was a world record in June 2024.

Chaiwat Rattana of Thailand captured gold at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in 48.01, followed by Rheed McCracken of Great Britain (48.67).

In 2023, Smeenk earned his first career major championship medal with world 400 bronze in Paris. He also collected silver in the 100.

"Medals are symbolic tokens of significance, to say that we've done something sweet. I was third in the world today. That's pretty good," Smeenk told Athletics Canada. "These medals are really, really hard fought for. Conditions here are tough. The athletes have really brought it."

WATCH | Smeenk holds off Qatar's Arshid for world 400m bronze medal:

Austin Smeenk races to Canada's 1st medal at the World Para Athletics Championships

The 28-year-old won two medals in the capital of France last year at his third Paralympics, bronze in the 100 and gold in the 800. The 400 wasn't on the program.

"It's very much an honour to do it for Canada and to do it for all the people that have helped individual sport. It takes a team to get us here," said Smeenk.

Born with a hereditary form of paraplegia that causes stiffness in the lower limbs, Smeenk is able to walk short distances and ride a bicycle for longer distances.

He is among seven Paralympic medallists on the 26-member Canadian team.

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