As Ontario’s Peter Snider entered his 200-metre race at the Special Olympics World Games in Dubai on Sunday, he had one thing on his mind: gold.
“I had it in my head,” he said. “When I got to the corner, I couldn’t hear anyone else – everything blurred out and I just kept driving.”
Although he raced in lane seven – an outside lane typically left for slower runners in a heat - Snider quickly took the lead and, in less than 24-seconds, finished first, earning his sought-after gold medal.
“I feel humble and content and my training helped a lot,” he said.
According to Head Athletics Coach Tom Norton, the race set a new personal record for Snider.
“I expected nothing less from Peter,” Norton said. “His cool, collected approach to his craft is of Olympic proportion.” Norton credits this to Snider’s prior World Games experience in Los Angeles in 2015, as well as his training with Athletics Canada’s Paralympic Team.
“That sets him above the rest as a scholar athlete and sprint sensation competing for Canada,” he said Snider, of course, remains humble and continues to pass on tips and advice to his teammates.
Snider competes again on Tuesday in long jump.