The first day of competition at the 2022 Canadian Track and Field Championships featured only one final for Lions athletes, but it was enough to produce the first medal of the championship. Josh Cassidy took home the silver medal in the wheelchair 800 metres Thursday with a time of one minute and 42.31 seconds.
The defending champion in the event, from 2019, pushed the pace early while battling strong headwinds on the home stretch. Cassidy had a firm hold on the lead through about 550 metres before veteran Alexandre Dupoint used the wind at their backs to swing past him as they entered the final 200. Cassidy tried to respond, but could not find a way past Dupont on the homestretch.
He will try to get back on top of the podium today with the wheelchair 1500 metre final set to go at 4:40 pm Pacific.
Day one also brought about the start of the heptathlon with Audrey Goddard and Brooklyn McCormick contesting the U20 and open competitions respectively.
Goddard got off to a strong start in the 100 metre hurdles, her forte,and kept things rolling from there to a day one score of 2770 points to sit in second place after day one.
The recent Merivale high school graduate was succinct in her characterization of her first heptathlon experience. “It was good.”
Goddard had a consistent day one with marks of 14.70 seconds in the hurdles, 1.54 metres in high jump, 8.50 metres in shot put and 26.08 in the 200 metres. “Nothing was amazing for me,” she said of her performances. But everything was “ok”.
McCormick, also competing in her first heptathlon, sits in 14th place after day one with 2137 points.
The heptathlon finishes today with the long jump, javelin, and 800 metres starting at 9:30 am local time.