They had hoped for a podium finish against the world’s best — and they didn’t fall short.

A team of Richmond paramedics returned to Canadian shores with a silver medal and a lifetime of memories.

The team, led by semi-retired paramedic and Rejviz Rally veteran Clark McGuire, finished second only to the crack U.S. team, who’ve now won the Czech Republic contest five years in a row.

But they beat off competition from highly trained medical emergency professionals from 16 countries to claim the silver.

“To get to the podium is huge,” said McGuire, who’s just returned from the trip, which saw teams judged on how they tackled a whole host of staged medical emergencies during a grueling 16-hour shift.

“And we were not far off from getting the gold. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of the schedules.

“We were up all night doing our calls, the winners were in their beds by 11:30 p.m. That’s the luck I guess.”

As well as their tremendous success on the “field of play,” the team was the guest of honour at a party hosted by Canada’s Ambassador to the Czech and Slovak Republics.

McGuire added that he hopes to return to the Rally with the team next year and perhaps go one better.