Canada’s swimmer Aurélie Rivard clinched a bronze medal during the Para Pan Pacific Championships in Walnut, California. The 30-year-old, a veteran Paralympic medalist with 13 accolades, finished third in the women’s 400m freestyle final, competing against athletes from the S6-11 and S13 categories. Rivard, a three-time Paralympic champion in the S10 400 free, earned 933 points with a time of 4:37.04, securing the bronze.
Lakeisha Patterson from Australia, competing in the S9 category, claimed the gold medal with 986 points by finishing in 4:40.35. Despite American Ali Truwit touching the wall first in 4:31.52, she earned 971 points due to her S10 classification. Points are awarded based on how close a swimmer’s time is to the specific class’s world record standard.
Rivard, who recently made a comeback to international competition after a year off, expressed her mixed emotions about the race, considering it her favorite and one where she excels. She believes she has more to showcase and prove to herself in the future.
In other Canadian results, Nicholas Bennett from Parksville, B.C., ranked fourth in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB4-6, 8-9, 11, 13-14 final. The event witnessed Naohide Yamaguchi of Japan, the 2020 Paralympic champion, setting a world record with a time of 1:02.38. Reid Maxwell from St. Albert, Alta., finished fifth in the men’s 400m freestyle S6-9, S11, S13.
The Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships are available for live streaming on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. The Day 3 preliminaries will commence on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by the final sessions at 8:30 p.m. ET.