Littlehales wins silver on golden day for Aussie paddlers

Australian Paralympic Team co-captain Curtis McGrath sealed his place as an all-time great of Paralympic sport with a crushing victory in the men’s KL2 at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, while NSWIS scholarship athlete Dylan Littlehales won silver and Susan Seipel won bronze.

Littlehales started the medal rush with a silver in the men’s KL3 in the mostly tightly fought finish of the morning. His time of 40.68 was less than a second behind Brahim Guendouz of Algeria.

Littlehales said he had a feeling he was in second as he lunged at the line.

“There was a bit of relief,” he said.

“It didn’t really kick in until I was actually standing on the podium there just before I got my name called up, so I got a tiny bit teary just before stepping out. Being able to call myself a Paralympic medallist, it’s a great step in the right direction.”

McGrath, the former Australian army combat engineer who was nearly fatally injured in an explosion while on deployment in Afghanistan in 2012, powered to his third consecutive win in the kayak at his third Games.

McGrath’s win was one of three outstanding results from Australia’s three-strong Para-canoe team.

Susan Seipel added to her KL2 bronze at Rio 2016 and VL2 silver at Tokyo 2020 with a third-consecutive medal, capturing bronze in the women’s VL2.

McGrath was supported by a crowd of loved ones at the venue, including family, friends and former army colleagues.

“They were the ones carrying my stretcher and putting the tourniquets on and literally saving my life,” McGrath said, recalling the immediate aftermath of the IED explosion in which he became a bilateral leg amputee.

“[They’re] all there and they’re a part of that journey of recovery and rehabilitation. In the traumatic moment of that blast they were with me and they’re still here supporting me and it’s very special having them here as well.

“We’ve got some great friends there that I’ll have for the rest of my life for sure.”

Seipel’s time of 1:01.39 put her in third behind Emma Wiggs of Great Britain (gold) and Brianna Hennessy of Canada (silver).

“So many emotions,” she said.

“This one is really special because I’ve been a bit sick coming into this. I wasn’t really sure what my form was going to be like with a few days off because of illness, so this one is really special.

“I fought very hard to get it and … I’m so glad that it’s all paid off.”

The canoe competition continues on Sunday.

Story courtesy of Paddle Australia