A team of four athlete athletes returned to Edmonton Saturday night after earning eight medals for Team Canada at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi.
More than 7,000 athletes from 190 nations competed in the event.
Team Canada earned 155 medals: 90 gold, 37 silver and 28 bronze.
Alberta athletes—including three from each Edmonton and Calgary, two from Medicine Hat, and one each from Whitecourt, Strathmore and Olds—contributed 27 medals.
Edmontonian Candice Bagan returned Alberta on Saturday, having placed first in the women’s 25 metre swim relay, and eighth in the 25 metre freestyle and backstroke races.
The swimmer said she was excited to “show off our medals and how we had fun.”
Fellow Edmontonians Esther Auger and Nikita Williams, as well as Connor Bissett from Whitecourt, flew into Edmonton with Bagan.
Auger earned two golds in women’s bowling singles and doubles, and placed fourth with a team.
Williams placed first in bocce singles, second in bocce doubles and fourth on a team.
Bissett placed first in the men’s 50 metre backstroke and 100 metre freestyle, as well as second in the men’s 50 metre relay.
Bagan called the competition in Abu Dhabi an “adventure,” but said she wouldn’t be taking a break before starting to prepare for the 2021 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games.
