Canadian Zesseu claims Paralympic silver in discus

PARIS — Canadian wheelchair racer Cody Fournie doesn't love the limelight, but he raced into it at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

Fournie won the T51 men's 100 metres Friday at Stade de France to become a double gold medallist in his Paralympic debut.

The 35-year-old from Victoria also won Tuesday's 200 metres. Fournie took the 100 in a Paralympic-record time of 19.63 seconds.

"It means the world to me," Fournie said.

The work he and coach Geoff Harris did on Fournie's starts since he took silver in the 100 in May's world para athletics championship in Kobe, Japan, was evident Friday.

The Canadian rocketed off the start line and no competitor could catch him.

"It was just a new technique Geoffrey and I worked on since Kobe, Japan," Fournie said. "It was quick frequency leading into longer strides."

Fournie thrived on the track, but was uncomfortable with the attention his success brought.

"I don't know how to take it," he said. "The new-found fame is not something I'm used to. I'm better one on one. I don't like people staring at me and looking at me. I definitely don't like talking to all these reporters."

Earlier Friday, Toronto discus thrower Jesse Zesseu claimed a silver medal.

The 25-year-old put the disappointment of the 2023 world para athletics championship in Paris behind him with a 53.24-metre toss that put him on the podium in his first Paralympic Games.

"I was here last year in exactly the same city, Paris, at the Stade Charlety and I triple faulted. It was the worst moment in my life and I cried," Zesseu said.

“I cried again now in Paris but for a different reason, a good reason."

He was just over four metres shy of Tolibboy Yuldashev from Uzbekistan, whose gold-medal throw travelled 57.28 metres.

Bronze medallist Haider Ali of Pakistan threw 52.54.

"Over there, Yuldashev (set a personal best) by six metres; I love that guy. It’s incredible to have this feeling of being here," Zesseu said. "The crowd was insane."

Zesseu competes in the men’s F37 classification. He has mild cerebral palsy from a stroke at birth, which limits function on the right side of his body.

He came to para sport as an adult and was encouraged to explore his Paralympic potential while working for Cerebral Palsy Ontario.

“Everything in the last three years since I started para sport was to do this. I have no words, it’s just incredible," Zesseu said.

Fournie's neck was broken at age 11 when he was run over by a truck while he was crossing the road in Kamloops, B.C., which rendered him a quadriplegic.

His wife Abigail didn't travel to Paris because the couple have another trip planned for October.

"We're saving our money to go to Mexico," Fournie explained. "I didn't want to spend a bunch of money for her to come and watch me for a minute and stay at an Airbnb all by herself."

He was the only man in Friday's sprint final to go under 20 seconds.

"I attribute my success to my faith in Christ, my hard work in training and the team at the West Hub in Victoria," Fournie said.

"They have helped me tremendously get here and work on everything I need to work on."

Silver medallist Peter Genyn of Belgium finished in 20.47 seconds and Toni Piispanen of Finland took bronze in 21.14.

Fournie was born in Rimbey, Alta., but the former wheelchair rugby player lives in Victoria where he's been training at Athletics Canada's West Hub on the Camosun College camps since 2021.

Nate Reich, the reigning Paralympic champion in the men's T38 1,500 metres, and wheelchair racer Austin Smeenk, who won a T34 100-metre bronze in Paris, also train there.

Reich will attempt to defend his title and Smeenk races the 800 metres in Saturday's track and field finale.

Fournie's medal was Canada's seventh, and fourth gold, at the track. Brent Lakatos won the men's T53 800 metres and Greg Stewart the F46 men's shot put.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.