The youngest competitor in the Paralympic wheelchair rugby tournament proved age is just a number.
18-year-old Okotokian Zak Madell led the Canadian wheelchair rugby team with 68 goals in the tournament en route to the silver medal, losing the final 66-51 to Australia on Sept. 9, at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Madell, who had his legs and fingers amputated due to a septic staph infection at the age of 10, was Canada’s go-to offensive dynamo in London. The Holy Trinity Academy graduate, classified at the highest level of ability as a 3.5 player along with veteran Garett Hickling, was Canada’s top goal scorer in every game except for the round-robin opener with Australia in which he only saw 5:29 of game action.
Canada lost its tournament debut to Australia 64-52 on Sept. 5, but rallied for a 58-50 win over Belgium and a eked out a narrow 53-52 victory over Sweden to close out pool play as the second place team in Pool A.
Madell was the key cog in both triumphs, leading Canada with 18 goals in both victories.
The Canadians were then matched up with the proverbial tournament favourite U.S. team, the defending Paralympic and world champions, in the semifinal on Sept. 8. Canada jumped out to a 16-9 lead after the first quarter before the Americans gradually clawed back into the game setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
The United States had possession of the ball in the final minute with the game tied at 49-49 and attempted to kill time to ensure they had the last opportunity to score.
Canadian Mike Whitehead had other ideas, making a terrific interception with 33 seconds left and it was Canada’s turn to kill the clock before Hickling, the Canadian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies, scored the game-winning-goal with 1 second to go.
The rematch with Australia with the gold medal on the line went much the same way as their first meeting. Australian star Ryley Batt proved too much to contend with, scoring a staggering 37 goals in the final. Canada trailed 34-21 at the half, and fought back valiantly in the third and fourth quarters, but the deficit proved too much as Australia cruised to the 15-point win and their first gold medal in the sport.
The Canadians were prolific in the pools in London too.
Okotoks swimmer Kirstie Kasko finished her first Paralympics with the twelfth fastest swim in the 100m breaststroke in the S14 classification division, for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Kasko was fifth in heat 2 on Sept. 6 with a time of 1:27.90. The 19-year-old earlier finished twelfth in the 100m backstroke and fourteenth in the 200m freestyle.
