Sharp at the finish, Canada’s Lakatos claims silver in the Para athletics worlds
Canada’s Brent Lakatos is back on a familiar step of the podium.
The native of Dorval, Que., who won four silver medals at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games, took another silver medal in the T53 400-meter wheelchair race at the Para-Athletics World Championships in Paris on Tuesday.
Pongsakorn Paeyo of Lakatos and Thailand pulled away from the rest of the pack early, but the latter started slightly faster than the Canadian and held on to the finish, setting a world record time of 46.11 seconds to claim gold. Lakatos’ time of 46.22 represented a North American record, beating the previous world record.
“If the race had lasted another five meters I think I would have had it, but it’s great to get back into such good shape so quickly,” said Lakatos. “If I can make a PR here, I will try to do even better next year in Paris.”
LOOK | Lakatos storms to silver:
11-time World and Paralympic Champion Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., was beaten at the line by Thailand’s Paeyo Pongsakorn, who set a new world record in the men’s 400 meters T53 race, at the 2023 World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris.
American Brian Siemann took bronze with a personal best of 48.30 seconds.
Lakatos, 43, holds 10 Paralympic medals in his career, including one gold in the 100m in 2016. Paeyo is the reigning Paralympic champion in the 100m, 400m and 800m, while Lakatos finished second in all three disciplines.
Meanwhile, compatriot Austin Smeenk took bronze in the T34 400m wheelchair race.
The performance marked Smeenk’s first major international championship podium in his career.
“Rose gold tastes pretty sweet right now,” said the resident of Oakville, Ont. After the race.
Smeenk, 26, surpassed his previous personal best in February with a time of 49.32 seconds.
Thailand’s Chaiwat Rattana won gold in 48.65 seconds, while United Arab Emirates’ Mohamed Alhammadi took silver in 49.21 seconds.
LOOK | Smeenk races to bronze medal:
Austin Smeenk of Oakville, Ontario, won bronze in the men’s 400m T34 race at the 2023 World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris.
Watch live coverage of the World Para Athletics Championships on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem. Coverage from Paris continues Wednesday at 3 a.m. ET with the morning session of Day 4.
