PARIS — Canada’s Aurelie Rivard has struck gold at the Paralympic Games.
The 28-year-old from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., won the women’s S10 400-metre freestyle with a time of four minutes 29.20 seconds on Thursday.
Alexandra Truwit of the United States (4:31.39) and Bianka Pap of Hungary (4:35.63) earned silver and bronze, respectively.
Rivard is the first Canadian swimmer to win a gold medal in the same event in three consecutive Paralympic Games since Stephanie Dixon won the S9 100 backstroke in 2000, 2004, and 2008.
It’s the third medal of the Paris Games for Rivard, who holds the world and Paralympic record in the 400 freestyle, set at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. She has also won silver in the 100 freestyle and bronze in the 50 freestyle in Paris.
Tess Routliffe reached the podium for Canada in the pool just minutes before Rivard.
Routliffe grabbed bronze in the women’s SB7 100-metre breaststroke for her second medal of the Paralympics.
She also earned silver in the women’s SM7 200-metre individual medley.
The 25-year-old resident of Caledon, Ont. was able to celebrate her latest medal with tennis-playing sister Erin, who made it to her race after playing in the U.S. Open.
“I saw her in the stands so I gave her the wave. My whole family is there. It’s so great to see her. I am so happy she came out,” said Tess Routliffe, who noted her other sister Tara has been at every race in Paris.
“(Tara) has been here the whole time, she deserves the credit. Everyone is talking about Erin, but she’s been in here the whole time,” she said with a laugh.
Erin Routliffe and partner Gabriela Dabrowski, of Ottawa, entered the U.S. Open as defending champions in women’s doubles but were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova and Taiwan’s Hao-ching Chan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2024.
The Canadian Press
