Canadian Brent Lakatos wins third gold at paralympic world track championship

DOHA, Qatar – Canada captured a pair of gold medals in wheelchair racing at the IPC world track and field championships Thursday.

Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., won his third gold of the competition, finishing first in the men’s T53 800 metres in one minute 39.61 seconds.

He also has a silver at the competition with one event still to go.

“I was inspired by a strategy that (veteran wheelchair racer) Chantal Petitclerc used in Beijing in 2008, just go, open a gap and hope they can’t catch you,” he said. “That’s was what I did and I was scared the whole way.”

Jean-Philippe Maranda of Ste-Aurelie, Que., did not advance to the final.

Meanwhile, Guillaume Ouellet of Victoriaville, Que., won gold in the T13 5,000 metres.

Ouellet said he was content to let others set the early pace.

“The goal was to run conservatively at the beginning and manage the attack by the Moroccans,” he said.

Ouellet finished in 15:07.64.

In the women’s T44 100-metre, 16-year-old Marissa Papaconstantinou of Toronto was eighth.

“I am happy with my performance. It was a personal best. That is what I was looking for,” she said. “Hopefully in a few years I will be there on the podium.”

Madison Wilson-Walker of Avon, Ont., did not advance to the final.

Virginia McLachlan of Windsor, Ont., was eighth in the T35 100 metres while Alexandre Dupont of Clarenceville, Que., failed to advance to the men’s T54 800-metre final.