Canada’s Nate Riech has won his second consecutive Paralympic medal.
The Victoria native took silver in the men’s T38 1,500 metres on Saturday at the Stade de France in Paris, following up the title he won three years ago at the Tokyo Games.
Riech crossed the finish line in four minutes 13.12 seconds, slightly behind gold medallist Amen Allah Tissaoui of Tunisia at 4:12.91. Australian Reece Langdon earned bronze at 4:13.13.
“It sucks. But those guys were great in Tokyo when I won, and I have nothing but respect for [Tissaoui]. He was the best guy on the day, no doubt about it. I am just proud,” Riech said.
WATCH | Riech races to silver:
After a silver medal at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Nate Riech won silver this time in the T38 1500-metre final at Paris 2024.
The eight-man field started slowly through two laps as competitors appeared to attempt biding time before a finishing kick.
Steadily, Riech, Tissaoui, Langdon and Australia’s Angus Hincksman separated themselves from the rest of the pack, and with 200 metres to go the race was finally on.
Riech was forced somewhat to the outside, where he was able to get past both Australians. But Tissaoui had the most energy left in the tank, sprinting to the finish line with time to celebrate, while Riech edged Langdon in a photo finish for silver.
“It was a hell of a race. I had three plans — slow, medium and fast. I knew if it was slow with about 700 [metres] to go, I would take it and bait those guys,” he said. “My plan worked great. I just thought I was going to have more wheels at the end.”
WATCH | Riech chats about silver-medal race:
Nate Riech of Victoria won silver in the T38 1500-metre final with a time of 4:13.12 at Paris 2024.
The 29-year-old Canadian holds the world record in the event at 3:47.89 from May 2021 and set the Paralympic record later that year at 3:58.92.
But the 1,500 is a tactical race, and on Saturday the rest of the field prevented Riech from setting his typically blistering pace.
Meanwhile, Riech dealt with injuries throughout training in the leadup to the Paralympics. In April, he experienced a setback when tightness in his right leg — the side of his body affected by his coordination impairment – forced him to miss about three weeks of training on the track.
“I’m just proud that I came back the way I did,” Riech said. “These last three weeks I’ve just been moving in workouts, so I really thought that last 120 that I usually have would be there. I just didn’t have that push that I usually have.
“With 120 to go, I thought I was going to win this dang thing. I tightened up with 50 to go.”
Riech suffered a brain injury at age 10 when he was hit in the back of the head by a golf ball, leading to his impairment.
Instead, he missed the mark by 10 seconds.
On Saturday in Paris, he was even further off his world-record pace. But unlike in Guelph, he’ll leave with some hardware: a Paralympic silver medal.
Riech said it could be his final one.
“Hopefully, I am not going to cry here, but this is probably my last Games. Maybe I’ll do one more worlds,” he said. “It’s been such an honour to have been able to wear the flag.”
Since he didn’t compete until the final night at the track, Riech spent time in Paris writing letters to people, including fiancée Cherie Hewlett.
“I bawled my eyes out when I wrote it to her and told her how much she meant to me,” Riech said. “When I won in Tokyo, she wasn’t my girlfriend or fiancée. I really wanted to show her the man and the athlete I am.
“I knew there was a chance that I would not win here today, and I wanted to show that the man she’s going to marry stands up and says when I lose, I hold my head up high and I congratulate my competitors. That’s the man she fell in love with, so I just try to be him every day.”
WATCH | Who is Nate Graywolf Riech?:
A look into the mind of Canada’s Nate Riech and what makes him one of the best Para runners in the world.
