Canadian wheelchair racer Bouchard wins gold at para athletics world championships

NEW DELHI — Canadian wheelchair racer Anthony Bouchard struck gold in the T52 100-metre event at the world para athletics championships on Saturday.

The 32-year-old from Quebec City powered through with a time of 16.95 seconds.

Bouchard set a personal best and championship record of 16.78 seconds earlier on Saturday to get into the final.

“To be honest, I knew I had that in me,” Bouchard said. “But with all the conditions we have here, the heat, the air pollution, I had some doubts. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I’m really, really happy with the result, but I couldn’t let my performance in the morning give me too much confidence.”

Meanwhile, wheelchair racer Austin Smeenk booked his spot in the men’s T34 800 final in convincing fashion, winning his heat with a time of one minute 41.45 seconds.

“Nobody really wanted to go out and take the lead off of it, nor did I,” he said. “Then trouble started to accumulate, and I’ve been getting used to driving in real close quarters here in India. So I figured if I’m comfortable in chaos. You’ve got to be comfortable in close space.”

The 28-year-old from Oakville, Ont., is the reigning Paralympic champion and world-record holder in the event.

He will line up for a shot at gold on the final day of competition on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press