Paralympics 2024: Para-canoeist Curtis McGrath in shock loss in last race at Paris

Curtis McGrath was unable to complete his golden double heroics of four years ago when he surprisingly missed out on a medal in his final race at the Paris Paralympics.

Australia’s Curtis McGrath has surprisingly missed out on a medal in his final race at the Paris Paralympics, providing a stark reminder that even the greatest don’t win everything.

Virtually unbeatable in kayak singles (K1), the former soldier finished fourth in Sunday night’s Va’a (V1) category after storming to victory in the K1 for the third Paralympics in a row 24 hours earlier.

McGrath completed the golden double at the last Paralympics in Tokyo three years ago when he retained his K1 title and took out the inaugural V1 gold when the outrigger race was added to the Paralympic program.

Curtis McGrath missed out on the medals in the Va’a category. Picture: Getty Images

But the 36-year-old was unable to repeat the double in Paris as he struggled to paddle straight in the frantic 200m final, drifting across his lane and finishing fourth, missing the podium by just 0.06 seconds.

The V1 has always been McGrath’s weaker para-canoeing event and he had already revealed he was ditching the race for what he expects will be his final Paralympics at Los Angeles in 2028.

“l will be saying goodbye to that,” McGrath said.

“The body is just a bit old and not really enjoying that too much.

“It puts a lot of load on the body over 200m, it’s a boat that really demands a lot.

“So it’s exciting to race against the best in the world, but I’m happy to see it go as well.”

Curtis McGrath won gold in the kayak singles for the third Paralympic Games in a row. Picture: Getty Images

It’s been an emotional time for McGrath in Paris, who reunited with the soldiers who saved his life when he stepped on a landmine while serving in Afghanistan. He lost both his legs in the blast.

One of Australia’s best known and inspiring Paralympic paddlers, McGrath has also been distracted by family issues, with his newborn son Monty needing open heart surgery to correct a rare condition.

“It’s obviously a bit disappointing to come away fourth,” McGrath said.

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“So close. The race is really hard. It’s a really competitive race.

“I thought I had a bit of an advantage, being able to paddle on both sides.

“But, unfortunately, I think that’s what got me undone. I wasn’t able to hold on to one side and keep it through the back end there.

“I tried, pushed hard, but it wasn’t quite my race today.

“I’m still happy with where I am, but it wasn’t the send-off I wanted.”

Originally published as Paralympics 2024: Para-canoeist Curtis McGrath in shock loss in last race at Paris