Paraswimming – Paralympic Games | Aurélie Rivard wins gold, her third medal, Tess Routliffe bronze

(Paris) Quebecer Aurélie Rivard won gold at the Paris Paralympic Games.

The 28-year-old athlete from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu won the women’s 400m freestyle in the S10 category in four minutes and 29.20 seconds on Thursday.

American Alexandra Truwit (4:31.39) and Hungarian Bianka Pap (4:35.63) completed the podium, in that order.

Rivard thus became the first Canadian woman to win gold in the same event at three consecutive Paralympic Games since Stephanie Dixon in the 100m backstroke in the S9 category in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

This is Rivard’s third medal at the Paris Games, and she also set the Paralympic record in the 400m freestyle at the Tokyo 2021 Games. She also won silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 50m freestyle in the French capital.

A few minutes before Rivard’s feat, Tess Routliffe also reached the podium for Canada in para swimming.

Routliffe won bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke in the SB7 category, doubling her haul in Paris. The para-swimmer from Caledon, Ont., had won silver in the women’s 200m individual medley in the SM7 category.

Routliffe, 25, was able to celebrate her latest medal win with her sister, Erin, who arrived in Paris in time after competing in the US Open.

“I saw her in the stands and I said hello. My whole family is here. It’s so wonderful to see her here. I’m glad she’s here,” said Tess Routliffe, who also noted that her other sister, Tara, has also attended every one of her races in Paris.

“She (Tara) has always been there, so I have to give her my hat off. Everyone talks about Erin, but she’s always been there by my side,” she added with a laugh.

Erin Routliffe and partner Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa were the defending U.S. Open women’s doubles champions but fell to Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Hao-ching Chan of Taiwan in the quarterfinals.