Katie Cosgriffe kickstarted the final evening of the Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships by securing Canada’s inaugural gold medal of the tournament. The 20-year-old athlete, hailing from Burlington, Ontario, clinched the top spot in the women’s multi-class 100-meter backstroke final, clocking a season-best time of one minute and 8.1 seconds.
Expressing her delight post-victory, Cosgriffe revealed to CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux that she entered the race without specific expectations, solely focusing on her performance. She emphasized her contentment with executing her race strategy and achieving a gold medal without checking her time during the race.
This triumph marks Cosgriffe’s debut international gold medal win. The swimmer, classified as S10, had previously secured a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly event at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. Cosgriffe views her participation in this championship as vital preparation for the upcoming Summer Games in Los Angeles, aiming to use the experience gained as a stepping stone.
Reflecting on her performance, Cosgriffe acknowledged that although she aimed to clock below 1:08, achieving a time of 1:08.1 in the final left her content. Despite falling short of her time goal, she expressed satisfaction with concluding a challenging season on a high note with a gold medal.