Canada misses chance to clinch spot in Paralympic women’s sitting volleyball tourney

HANGZHOU — Canada missed a chance to clinch a berth in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics after falling 3-0 to host China in a third-place match Friday at the 2026 World Sitting Volleyball Championships.

China won convincingly over the second-ranked Canadians by set scores of 25-13, 25-15 and 25-14.

Captain Heidi Peters had 14 points, but no other Canadian had more than five.

Zhang Lijun had a game-high 18 points for China, while Zhang Xufei added 16.

The top-ranked United States beat Brazil 3-1 in the final,

The world championships were the first chance to qualify for the 2028 Paralympics. The top two teams in the men’s and women’s competitions outside the U.S. earned berths.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2026.

The Canadian Press