Canadian Para road cyclists Michael Sametz and Alexandre Hayward secured silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s C3 individual time trial at the world championships held in Huntsville, Alabama. Sametz from Calgary finished with a time of 36:33.30, while Hayward from Quispamsis, New Brunswick, crossed the line in 37:03.18, earning his fifth world-championship medal. The gold was claimed by Louis Hubert of France with a time of 36:03.41.
This latest silver medal signifies a significant achievement for 30-year-old Sametz, who has previous accolades including a Paralympic bronze in the C3 time trial at Rio 2016 and consecutive UCI Para-cycling Road World Championship titles in 2017 and 2018. Sametz returned to elite competition in 2023 after overcoming health issues and injuries that had kept him out for multiple seasons. He secured bronze medals at the world championships in Glasgow and the Santiago Parapan American Games, reasserting his position among the top Para cyclists globally.
Reflecting on his performance, Sametz remarked, “I felt very fast on the first lap. It seemed like everything was lining up, and then on the second lap I almost fell off halfway through, but I hung on and kept my head tucked to maintain speed as much as possible. It seemed to work! It was a hot race, but I’m very happy with the result after the last couple of years.”
Hayward, a former wheelchair basketball player, clinched the C3 time trial world title at the previous year’s event in Ronse, Belgium, where he also secured bronze in the road race for the second consecutive year. The 29-year-old continued his impressive form this year, achieving podium finishes at both World Cup stops in Gistel, Belgium, and Abruzzo, Italy.
Expressing his satisfaction, Hayward stated, “I’m really happy with third place. And if you’re going to finish third, you want to see athletes ahead of you who you know earned it, and that’s exactly what happened today. Standing on the podium with another Canadian is incredibly special, and it’s something I’m proud of.”
The 2026 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships are ongoing until Monday.
