On Tuesday morning at the Stade de France in Paris, Cody Fournie of Victoria clinched Canada’s second gold medal of the 2024 Paralympic Games in the men’s T51 200m event.
GOLD FOR CANADA! 🇨🇦
Cody Fournie has raced to victory in the men’s 200m T51, crossing the finish line in an incredible 37.64 seconds! 🥇🔥 What a phenomenal performance at #Paris2024 – Canada is celebrating with you, Cody!#GreatnessMovesUs pic.twitter.com/P5nfj9WvsD
— Canadian Paralympic Team (@CDNParalympics) September 3, 2024
Fournie delivered the fastest 200m time of his career, crossing the finish line in 37.64 seconds. He finished nearly a second ahead of Finland’s Toni Piispanen, who took silver, and Belgium’s Peter Genyn, who rounded out the podium for bronze with a time of 38.65 seconds. This victory marks Fournie’s first Paralympic medal.
The 35-year-old is a former Canadian national para rugby team player, who switched to wheelchair racing during the pandemic.
Earlier this year, Fournie won a silver medal in the T51 100m at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan. The T51 class includes athletes with several different types of disabilities including spinal cord injuries and cerebral palsy.
Four years ago, Fournie had reached a turning point in his rugby career, and was uncertain about his future in the sport. A friend connected him with former Canadian Olympian Geoff Harris, who played a pivotal role in helping Fournie transition to para athletics.
Para-athlétisme : CODY FOURNIE MÉDAILLÉ D’OR! 🥇 Quelle course du Canadien 🔥#Paris2024 #paralympiques #paraathletics #rcsports @athleticscanada pic.twitter.com/AAlFrHmPvI
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) September 3, 2024
Fournie, who became a quadriplegic after an accident at age 11, adds his first Paralympic gold to his resume. His victory is Canada’s second gold medal of the 2024 Paralympic Games, following Nicholas Bennett’s triumph in para-swimming on Monday evening. So far, Canada has a gold, silver and bronze in athletics. The Paralympics run until Sunday, Sept. 8.
