Austin Smeenk rang the bell with gusto.

The Canadian wheelchair racer won the men害羞草研究所檚 T51 800 metres Saturday at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

Track and field victors at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games rang a bell engraved with 害羞草研究所淧aris 2024害羞草研究所� at Stade de France.

The bell will be installed in a tower at Notre Dame Cathedral when the iconic edifice is restored from a 2019 fire.

Smeenk coveted the rite after watching other Canadian athletes grab the rope for a satisfying clang.

害羞草研究所淔antastic,害羞草研究所� the 27-year-old from Oakville, Ont., declared.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been looking forward to doing that since Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers did it about a month ago.害羞草研究所�

Katzberg and Rogers won hammer throw gold at the Olympic Games.

Smeenk produced Canada害羞草研究所檚 fifth Paralympic gold and eighth medal in track and field.

Victoria害羞草研究所檚 Cody Fournie won a pair of sprint gold medals in T51 wheelchair racing and Brent Lakatos of Dorval., was a victor in the T53 800.

Greg Stewart of Kamloops, B.C., defended his title in men害羞草研究所檚 F37 shot put.

Long jumper Noah Vucsics and defending 1,500-metre champion Nate Reich were still to compete in Saturday evening害羞草研究所檚 track and field finale.

Smeenk set world records in both the 400 and 800 metres earlier this year, and followed up with the first Paralympic gold of his career.

He害羞草研究所檚 a double medallist in Paris with a bronze in the 100 metres. The 400 wasn害羞草研究所檛 on the program.

The Canadian built a solid lead early in the 800 and began to pull away on the home stretch.

Smeenk threw his arms in the air before the finish line and beat the surging Chaiwat Rattana of Thailand by two-tenths of a second.

害羞草研究所淒on害羞草研究所檛 do that, other people and other athletes,害羞草研究所� Smeenk said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 sure the coaches will appreciate me saying that. I was ultra-confident that I had everybody beat, so that害羞草研究所檚 where that came from.

害羞草研究所淧ride comes before the fall and that could have been a real risky move. Don害羞草研究所檛 take risks that are unnecessary, especially at the Paralympic Games. Luckily I was on the winning side of that gamble.害羞草研究所�

His fianc茅e Celine Trapnell was among over a dozen family members and friends at the stadium to cheer on Smeenk in his third Paralympic Games.

Smeenk was born with spastic paraplegia, which is a hereditary disease causing progressive stiffness and contraction in the lower limbs.

His power and efficiency gave him a slower arm turnover than many of his competitors in the final.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e actually been in a racing chair for 20 years. It害羞草研究所檚 been an evolution of technique and, if you害羞草研究所檙e going to be something, you might as well be efficient,害羞草研究所� he stated.

害羞草研究所淟earning to get top speed without doing top frequency has been an absolute development that害羞草研究所檚 been crucial to success in the longer distance races.害羞草研究所�

The electromechanical engineering technology student at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., put those studies on hold to relocate to Victoria in 2022 and train at Athletics Canada害羞草研究所檚 West Hub with other Olympians and Paralympians.

Smeenk put his studies to work, however, as part of a team that designed his racing chair.

害羞草研究所淟earning to think scientifically has been crucial in refining my racing chair to the level that it害羞草研究所檚 the lightest racing chair of all my competitors as well as one of the best racing chairs, I believe, at the Paralympics this year,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淪marter every day with the things that I害羞草研究所檝e learned and applied that to the world of wheelchair racing as best I can.害羞草研究所�

As for how much difference the chair made in winning gold, Smeenk said: 害羞草研究所淚s it the hockey stick or is the athlete? Is it the golf club or the person swinging it?害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t all comes together and to put any specific fraction or percentage on that is near impossible,害羞草研究所� he continued. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the culmination of doing the work physically as well as getting the racing chair to the best it can be.

害羞草研究所淭he sum of those two have led to the confidence I害羞草研究所檝e had today to go and race to the best level I can.害羞草研究所�

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2024.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press