Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Markham congratulates athletes for successful Paralympic and Olympic Games

MARKHAM, ON – September 8, 2021 – Congratulations to all athletes connected to Markham on training for the world stage in a year like no other, overcoming COVID-19 challenges overseas, for going against the best in the world, and for making international and Canadian Olympic history at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games!

“Markham was well represented at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games by an incredible group of athletes that inspired our community with each and every performance,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “From Andre De Grasse sprinting to the Canadian record books to the arrival of new powerhouse athletes such as Jayde Riviere, Zachary Gingras and Marissa Papaconstantinou, Markham has become the city of champions! On behalf of the City of Markham, we salute and congratulate all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes for representing our community and making us proud.”

Markham is proud of our para-athletes for representing our community, for promoting accessibility and inclusiveness, and for inspiring the next generation. This has been an exciting Paralympics of public achievement and personal improvement!

Zachary Gingras won his first-ever Paralympic medal at Tokyo 2020, a bronze in the Men’s T38 400m run, with a personal best time of 50.85 seconds.

Marissa Papaconstantinou won her first-ever Paralympic medal, a bronze in the Women's T64 100m sprint, with a personal best time of 13.07 seconds. In addition, two new personal bests were established during the Women's T64 200m campaign.

At the Olympics, Andre De Grasse took home three Olympic medals at Tokyo 2020 – a gold medal in the Men’s 200M sprint and bronze medals in the men’s 100m sprint and in the Men’s 4X100m relay – becoming a six-time Olympic medalist who has never missed the podium at an Olympic event.

Jayde Riviere and Kailen Sheridan helped win Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in Women’s football (soccer).

Kayla Sanchez won a silver medal in pool for the Women’s 4X100m freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the Women’s 4X100m medley relay.

Congratulations to all for being a part of Markham’s strong sporting legacy and culture, and thank you for making us proud!

Paralympics:

Olympics:

Andre De Grasse - Athletics – Men’s 200m Gold, Men’s 100m Bronze, Men’s 4X100m relay Bronze
Jason Ho-Shue – Badminton
Michelle Li – Badminton
Nyl Yakura – Badminton
Brian Yang – Badminton
Rachel Honderich – Badminton
Joshua Hurlburt-Yu – Badminton
Haley Smith – Cycling (Mountain Bike)
Jayde Riviere – Football (Soccer) – Gold
Kailen Sheridan, Football (Soccer) – Gold
Gabrielle Smith – Rowing
Andrew Coe – Rugby
Charity Williams – Rugby
Javier Acevedo – Swimming
Tessa Cieplucha – Swimming
Joshua Liendo – Swimming
Kayla Sanchez – Swimming –Women’s 4X100m freestyle relay Silver, Women’s 4X100m medley relay Bronze
Jeremy Hazin – Table Tennis
Dominika Jamnicky – Triathlon

Markham Medal Moments

Markham Medal Moments montage showing 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games athletes Jayde Riviere, Zachary Gingras, Marissa Papaconstantinou and Andre De Grasse.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff at bfrois@markham.ca or 416.567.1177.

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:
Jennifer Yap, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations at jyap@markham.ca or 437.229.2450.

For COVID-19 announcements from the City of Markham:
Visit markham.ca/covid19 or listen to 105.9 The Region – Markham’s information and emergency radio station.

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with over 351,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 corporate head offices and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 240 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. Markham has received the Excellence Canada Gold Award for Organizational Quality & Healthy Workplace, and multiple heritage and environmental awards.

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