Just seconds away from what could have been the biggest moment of her young career, Ottawa’s Bianca Borgella suffered a heartbreaking injury on Tuesday in the women’s T13 100m final at the 2024 Paralympic Games. Borgella was one of the favourites to win a medal for Canada at these Games.
Just a horrible scene here at Stade de France as 🇨🇦 Bianca Borgella goes down with an injury in her 100m Paralympic final debut.
She got back up and crossed the line. But has now been taken off the track in a wheelchair.
I’ll work to get details on her health. pic.twitter.com/RgBOENj3qW
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) September 3, 2024
Borgella previously won bronze in this event at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships and entered her first Paralympic Games with high hopes. However, at the 50-metre mark, she pulled up with a hamstring injury and collapsed onto the track. Despite the pain, Borgella managed to get back on her feet and finish the race, crossing the line in 25.11 seconds while clutching the back of her leg, then limping off the track at the Stade de France.
The race was won by Azerbaijan’s Lamiya Valiyeva, who set a women’s T13 world record with a time of 11.76 seconds. Brazil’s Rayane Soares da Silva took silver with a personal best of 11.78 seconds, while Irish sprinter Orla Comerford rounded out the podium with a bronze in 11.94 seconds.
Athletics Canada has yet to reveal the severity of Borgella’s injury, but she faces a quick turnaround, as she is slated to compete in round one of the women’s T13 200m on Friday morning.
🇨🇦Bianca Borgella pulled up with an injury in her Paralympic 100m final debut. Fell down to the track.
And then she pulled herself back up. And finished the race. It was quite something here.
She’s under good care with Team Canada’s medical doctor and is being assessed. pic.twitter.com/EoOf6vDQr3
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) September 3, 2024
The 21-year-old only began her track and field journey three years ago, when a coach noticed her speed at a summer sports camp for the blind. Borgella arrived in Paris with ambitions of winning two medals for Canada in the T13 100m and 200m events.
Borgella’s injury was one of several tough moments for Canadian para-athletes at the Stade de France on Tuesday evening. Toronto’s Marissa Papaconstantinou, who medaled at Tokyo 2020, finished fourth in the women’s T64 100m, and men’s T38 400m athlete Zachary Gingras of Markham, Ont., placed fifth, missing the podium in a world record-setting race.
So far, Team Canada has won three medals in para athletics at the 2024 Paralympic Games: one gold, one silver and a bronze.
