Ilana DUPONT (CAN) competes in the T53 400m heats at the 2017 IPC Para Athletics World Championships in London

The world’s top para athletes have descended into Dubai for the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. Sending a total of 28 athletes, Canada got off to a good start on Day 1 in the Dubai Club for People of Determination.

Coming off his international debut in Lima, Peru for the Parapan American Games where he earned a silver medal, Zachary Gingras was Canada’s first athlete to take the track for Round 1 of the men’s 400m T38 competition.

Crossing the finish line in a time of 53.80, Gingras punched his ticket into tomorrow’s final.

Looking to defend his 100-metre T53 title, Brent Lakatos showed off what he did best as he confidently pushed his way through the finish with a season’s best time of 14.50 seconds to win his heat and qualify for tomorrow’s final with the fastest qualifying time.

Picking off his competitors from lane 7, it wasn’t until the 50-metre mark where the Dorval-native broke away from the pack to take the win.

Concluding the day for Canada was co-captain, Ilana Dupont in the women’s 100-metre T53 qualifying round. Pushing hard through the finish line, Dupont stopped the clock at 18.14 to qualify for the final.

The action picks up on Day 2 tomorrow as the trio take the track again for their respective finals. They will be joined inside the Dubai Club by co-captain Alister McQueen (F46 javelin), Thomas Normandeau (T47 400-metres), Lee Leclerc and Austin Smeenk (T34 400-metres), and Josh Cassidy and Alex Dupont (T54 800-metres) as they get their Championships started.