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20 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, JULY 15, 2006 Local wheelchair racer Cassidy earns national gold kind of relaxed," the 21-year-old said. "I was satisfied with third so I saved some energy for the 800m." As it turned out, he saved just enough. Cassidy took the It was a rough start for Oakville's Josh Cassidy but it lead but as the finish line approached, James Baker of Ottawa couldn't have ended any better. began to close the gap. The two hit the line together and Cassidy rebounded from a crash in the 5,000-metre wheel- Cassidy wasn't sure if he had held off his rival for the win. In chair event to win the gold medal in the 800m the end, it was Cassidy posting a time of one on Saturday at the Canadian paralympic track "I think there's defminute, 41.17 seconds to edge Baker by two and field championships. Cassidy also won a sil- initely going to be a one-hundredths of a second. ver medal in the 1,500m and a bronze in the sense of pride and Cassidy will now begin preparing for the 3,000m to leave the competition with a com- responsibility when world championships in September. The plete set of medals. Cassidy's performance Canadian team will be going to Holland a week you're wearing your earned him a spot on the Canadian team for the or two before the competition but Cassidy plans country's colours." world championships in Holland. on going even earlier. Cassidy had high hopes for the 5,000m, one He hopes to enter a meet in Switzerland prior of the two events he won the gold medal in at Josh Cassidy to the worlds "to get into a groove and see what the Canada Games last year. And things were I'm up against." going well until he got tangled up while lapping another In the meantime, he's looking forward to his first compecompetitor. tition as a member of a national team. "The crash left me a little jarred," said Cassidy, the 2005 "It's a little nerve-wracking," he said. "It's the most Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association's male athlete of the important competition I've been in yet. I think there's defiyear. "I thought that was one event I'd do really well in." nitely going to be a sense of pride and responsibility when DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER However, Cassidy didn't let it affect his performance. After you're wearing your country's colours. It's an honour. It finishing third in the 10,000m on the final day of competi- should be a fun and exciting experience." CANADIAN CHAMP: Josh Cassidy, pictured tion, Cassidy still had the 800m final to compete in. after receiving the Burlington Sports Alliance's "I knew my chances were pretty good for the 800m so I -- Herb Garbutt can be reached at sports@oakvillebeaver.com. Challenged Male Athlete of the Year Award recently. OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF By Herb Garbutt Day to remember for Devils coach Ionadi celebrates birth of daughter, Italy's World Cup victory By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF NEW AZZURRI FAN: Oakville Blue Devils coach Phil Ionadi with daughter Michela, who was born during Sunday's World Cup final. Last Saturday, Oakville Blue Devils coach Phil Ionadi was making final preparations for a World Cup party when his friend Peter Koutoulas turned to him and said, "Wouldn't it be cruel if Shannon (Ionadi's wife) went into labour during the final?" "Don't jinx me like that," Ionadi shot back. "And what if it went to penalty kicks and you couldn't watch," Koutoulas said as he continued to needle his friend. "You're terrible. Why would you say something like that?" Ionadi said. Less than 24 hours later, that scenario played itself out exactly as it had been jokingly described when Shannon Ionadi delivered Michela Rose -- the couple's first child -- at 4:35 p.m., less than a minute before Fabio Grosso delivered the goal that clinched the World Cup for Italy. "It's a day I'll never forget," Ionadi said. "The nurses all knew I wanted to know what was happening. It wasn't even 30 seconds after the baby was born, the nurse came in and said, `Italy won the World Cup.'" And the Azzurri fan base quickly grew by one as a tiny Italian jersey was slipped on to Michela. Although at the beginning of the day, dreams of an Italian victory were at the top of Ionadi's mind, the big game quickly became secondary. "Life changes very quickly," he said. Especially after Shannon went into labour in the morning. So as the World Cup final kicked off, the Ionadis were at Milton District Hospital anx- iously awaiting their new arrival. Although at one point Shannon gave her husband permission to check the television down the hall, there was no decision to be made. "It's your first child. It's once in a lifetime," Ionadi said. "Hopefully Italy will be back in the final for the next World Cup. They'll have to win one for me. They owe me one." Besides, there's another soccer title he would like to celebrate later this summer. "Hopefully we'll win the CSL (Canadian Soccer League) championship," said Ionadi, whose team leads its division with a 5-2-1 record. "I don't think I'll miss that one." -- Herb Garbutt can be reached at sports@oakvillebeaver.com.