Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann qualifies for 2024 Paris Paralympics
Former Humboldt Broncos forward Jacob Wassermann has qualified for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in rowing.
The ultimate story of resilience 🙌
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified a spot for @rowingcanada at the #Paris2024 Paralympics pic.twitter.com/qCj3KtlkjU
Wasserman earned a spot for Canada in the PR1 men’s single category.
The 24-year-old from Humboldt, Saskatchewan, was part of the 2018 Broncos team that was involved in the deadly bus crash on April 6, 2018. Sixteen people were killed, and another 13 were injured, with Wassermann getting paralyzed from the navel down.
Wassermann was a standout a Jr. A goaltender during his short career. He had a 14-9-5 record in 28 regular season games for the Broncos in his first year of junior hockey in 2017-18. He also made two starts with the WHL’s Regina Pats, winning one of them. That season, he took home the SJHL Rookie of the Year title and represented the Broncos at the 2018 CJHL Top Prospects Game.
Wassermann took up rowing after his injuries, winning various events throughout the past few years. He won silver at the Continental Qualification Regatta in Brazil earlier this month and needed a quota reallocation spot to officially transfer into the Paralympics.
Rowing has been part of the Paralympic Games since the 2008 event in Beijing. The events are split up into three different categories – PR1, PR2 and PR3. According to the Paris 2024 website, the PR1 category is “reserved for rowers without trunk or leg function using two oars.”
The rowing portion of the Paralympics will be held from Aug. 30 – Sept. 1, featuring both men’s and women’s events. Future qualification events are set to be held in South Korea, Hungary and Switzerland ahead of the final event later this summer.