September 25, 2004

Petitclerc wins 4th gold, sets world mark

CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Canadian wheelchair athlete Chantal Petitclerc continues to dominate at the Paralympic Games, winning a fourth gold medal and shattering a third world record on Saturday.

The Montreal native clocked 51.91 seconds to capture the women's 400-metre race for paraplegics in Athens.

Australia's Louise Sauvage, who finished second on Saturday in a personal best 53.42, set the old mark of 53.90 in August.

"It's pretty amazing," said Petitclerc, who also won the 100, 800 and 1,500 events. "Louise and I kept taking the world record from each other and lowering it. But to lower it by two seconds, I'm impressed with myself."

Saskatoon's Lisa Franks also broke a world mark in a heat race, while Chelsea Clark of Mississauga, Ont., won her second gold in Athens and Quebec City's Dean Bergeron earned a bronze on the track.

For Franks, Saturday's world record was her second in as many days. With a 36.63-second showing in the women's 200 semifinal for quadriplegics, she bested her own mark of 37.37 from earlier this year.

Clark breezed to a 34.55 finish in the women's 200 for athletes with cerebral palsy, defeating world record holder Debbie Brennanof of Britain (35.39).

The men's 800 final for quadriplegics included three Canadians, with Bergeron winning a bronze medal in a personal best 2:00.42.

"It was really difficult," said Bergeron, who sports eight medals from three Paralympic Games. "This is a good day. I am very much relieved to have won a medal."

In other events on Saturday:

Andre Beaudoin of Cowansville, Que., was fifth and Saskatoon's Rick Reelie sixth in the men's 800 m wheelchair race.

Chelsea Lariviere of Mountain, Ont., finished fourth (37.28) in the women's 200 final for athletes with cerebral palsy.

France Gagne of Alma, Que., was fourth in the men?s discus final for the visually impaired.

Eric Flemming of Oshawa, Ont., scored a personal best with a throw of 33.16 m, good for seventh in men?s javelin for those with cerebral palsy.

Eric Gauthier of St-Faustin, Que., placed eighth in the men?s wheelchair 800 m final.

with files from Canadian Sport News

Written by CBC Sports Online staff

Reprinted with permission