Para-triathlete Daniel digs deep for bronze medal
CALGARY — Calgary paratriathlete Stefan Daniel celebrated a hard-fought bronze medal win on Sunday at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Daniel placed third in the men’s para-triathlon PTS5 event Sunday with a time of 59 minutes and 22 seconds, winning his second Paralympic medal.
“My race wasn’t perfect but I gave everything I had. At the end of the day, I fought as hard as I could and that was good enough for bronze,” said Daniel over the phone from Tokyo.
“Obviously, I wanted to win it, but that’s sport. These are the best guys in the world and there’s no room for error.”
With pools and gyms closed due to the pandemic, training for the para-triathlon has been challenging, Daniel explained. However, he said it gave him the opportunity to focus on improving his cycling.
“I know I prepared as well as I possibly could have,” he said. “I won’t be doing triathlon forever, and you know, if you have a good or bad day it doesn’t matter; this is such a cool experience to represent Canada and be at an event like this. You have to cherish it as much as you can.”
Daniel was born with bilateral radial club hands, leaving his right arm seven inches shorter than his left. He competes in the category reserved for athletes with mild impairments.
The 24-year-old previously placed second in the same event during the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016 and has won medals at a number of other national and international games in both paratriathlon and para-swimming.
In the years leading to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, he won back-to-back World Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
At his first competition in nearly two years, Daniel won gold at the World Cup circuit in Spain two months before the Paralympic Games this summer.
His bronze in Tokyo is one of Team Canada’s 11 medals at this summer’s Paralympic Games.
Daniel’s parents, Chris and Sue Daniel, said they could not be prouder of their son for his dedication to the sport.
“I know he was a favourite going in because he’s won three or four world championships, so there’s a lot of pressure on him,” said Chris. “I could tell he was labouring, but I also know him very well. I know he won’t give up. Even if he’s not having his best day, he’ll lay it all out there.”
They hosted a watch party with family and friends in their backyard to watch and celebrate Daniel’s race.