TORONTO – Aurelie Rivard was golden twice and Nathan Stein won a pair of medals as Canada’s swimmers continued to collect the hardware at the 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games.
There were three, one-two finishes as Canadian swimmers hauled 14 medals (four goal, seven silver, three bronze) out of the pool Monday night.
Overall Canada has 40 swimming medals (10 gold, 17 silver, 13 bronze). Brazil tops the medal table with 41 (16-11-14).
In a span of just over two hours Rivard won the S10 100-meter butterfly and the 50-m freestyle, both in Parapan Am record times. Working overtime didn’t bother the teenager from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.
“It means lots,” said Rivard, who was born without her left hand. “It’s the first time I get to race two events in a major competition in the same night.
“I’m happy the way it turned out.”
Rivard opened the night winning the butterfly in one minute, 10.00 seconds. Samantha Ryan, of Saskatoon, was second in 1:11:03.
Rivard ended the evening winning the 50-m freestyle in 27.90 seconds.
She spent the time between races cheering for her teammates.
“I really needed to just relax and not think about the race,” she said. “I went back into the pool a half an hour ago to get back in the mood.
“I was able to step up and swim fast again.”
Stein, of Maple Ridge, B.C., made his first trip to the podium Monday morning, finishing second in the S10 100-meter freestyle in 58.52 seconds. Alec Elliot, of Kitchener, Ont., was third in 58.86.
In the evening session Stein was third in the 50-m freestyle in 23.67 seconds.
“It was not exactly the times I want but getting medals on home soils is always the best,” said Stein, who has a condition called osteochonodritis discans which has required 11 surgeries on his leg.
Canadian also had one-two finishes in the women’s S7 50-m freestyle and the men’s S14 100-meter backstroke.
Tess Routliffe, of Caledon, Ont., earned her first medal of the meet by winning the S7 50-m free in a Parapan record 34.55 seconds. Sarah Mehain, of Montreal, took silver in 35.59.
Routliffe said competing at the recent IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, improved her racing skills.
“It set me up to be able to race even better,” said the 16-year-old, who had a second and four, fourth-place finishes in Glasgow. “That got me a lot of experiences. I had a few races where I wasn’t my best.
“Those kind of experience make you get better.”
Mehain also learned from the world championships.
“I worked on some key points I knew I didn’t do as well as I could have two weeks ago,” said the Vernon, B.C., native who won a bronze at the world championships. “In the 50 it’s about stroke rate, kick, and just getting in there and fighting.”
Gordie Michie, of St. Thomas, Ont., won the S14 100-m backstroke in 1:03.46, breaking his own Canadian record. Adam Rahier, of Surrey, B.C., was second in 1:07.66.
“It feels amazing to break my own record and race against really fast athletes,” said Michie.
“My start, my flip turn and my finish was all I was focused on. “
Jean-Michel Lavalliere, of Montreal, battled tears on the podium while collecting the silver he won in the S7 50-m freestyle in 31.59 seconds.
“Ten years ago I was at Canada Games and I DQed four times out of six,” said Lavalliere, who has cerebral palsy.
“Coming in here I was thinking about that and how much I have evolved as an athlete but also as a person too. I am really proud of that.”
Lavalliere finished in 31.59 seconds. Nathan Clement, of West Vancouver, was fifth in 33.24 seconds.
The competition has attracted 228 athletes from 19 countries to the Parapan Am Aquatic Centre and Field House. For full results go to http://results.toronto2015.org/PRS/en/swimming/schedule-and-results.htm.
Other medal winners included:
_ Katarina Roxon, of Kippens, NL, silver S9 50-m freestyle in 30.88 seconds.
_ Kristie Kasko, of Okotoks, B.C., silver S14 100-m backstroke in 1:16.39, breaking her own Canadian record. Justine Morrier, of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, bronze in 1:18.54.
_ Tyler Mrak, of Aldergrove, B.C., silver S13 100-m backstroke in 1:16.23.0
_ Zack Zona, of Waterford, Ont., bronze S8 100-m butterfly in 1:10.36.
In other results:
_ Danial Murphy, of Bedford, N.S, fourth in S5 50-m butterfly in 48.16 seconds. Andrew Cooke, of Penticton, B.C., eighth in 56.01.
_ Tammy Cunnington, of Red Deer, Alta., fifth in the S5 50-m butterfly in 58.06 seconds.
_ Daniel Christian, of Calgary, sixth S6 50-m freestyle in 38.27 seconds.
_ Nydia Langill, of Mississauga, Ont., sixth in S7 50-m freestyle in a personal best 41.88.
_ Isaac Bouckley, of Montreal, fourth S10 50-m freestyle.
Swimming news courtesy of Swimming Canada.
