Wheelchair racer Michelle Stilwell added to Canada’s Paralympic medal haul, claiming gold in the women’s 400-metre T52 final in Paralympic record time Saturday morning in Rio.
The 42-year-old from Parksville, B.C., clocked in at one minute, 5.43 seconds to convincingly claim her fifth-career Paralympic gold.
“It was amazing to start so strong,” said Stilwell. ”The race was fluid. I felt confident and relaxed through the whole race and to cross the line first and to bring the gold home for Canada, well, it was the moment I was working for.”
Stilwell was over two seconds faster than Belgium’s world-record holder Marieke Vervoort, who came in second at 1:07.62. Kerry Morgan, of the United States, rounded out the podium.
Stilwell, who also competes in the 100 and holds the world record in that distance, is the only the second female Paralympian to have won gold in two separate summer sports. She also …