The Canadian team had an impressive overall showing at the season-opening event of the 2024 Citi World Para Swimming World Series held in Aberdeen, Scotland, from Feb. 1-4.
The 19-athlete contingent captured 12 senior medals, half of them gold, and set a trio of national long-course records at the competition attended by 22 countries. Canadians also added five podium finishes, including two wins, in the youth category.
Leading the way were Paralympians and long-time national team standouts Tess Routliffe of Caledon, Ont., and Aurélie Rivard of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. Both won a pair of multi-class finals, while also contributing to Canada’s triumph in the 4×100-m mixed 34-point medley relay.
Routliffe, an S7 athlete who trains at Montreal’s High Performance Centre – Quebec, prevailed in the women’s 100 breaststroke in Canadian record time (1:31.31) as well as the 200 individual medley. She also merited bronze in the 50 butterfly.
Rivard, the five-time Paralympic S10 champion from Club de Natation Région de Québec in Quebec City, was victorious in two of her signature events, the women’s 50 and 100 freestyle.
“This year we’ve made some changes, and I think at this time of year we’re exactly where we want to be,” said Routliffe, the reigning S7 world champion in both the 100 breast and 200 IM. “My coach Simon (Deguire) and I have a clear plan of what we want for this year, and are ambitious looking into Paris.
“We’ve already been able to see the progress of working together and I’m confident going into the next couple of months. I’m thrilled with how training is going at the moment and am grateful to have a full support from our IST at the center.”
Rivard was also pleased with her international season debut.
“It’s the first meet of the Paralympic year. We’re really in a training period, this was part of the program. The goal was to swim as fast as possible, and see where we’re at.
“I was happy to wrap up the meet on Sunday with a good time in the 50 free, going under 28 seconds. I’ll leave with what I learned here and keep working on it over the next few months.”
Other Canadians who returned from Scotland with senior gold medals were Danielle Dorris of Moncton, N.-B., crowned in the women’s 50 fly, as well as James Leroux of Repentigny, Que., and Philippe Vachon of Blainville, Que., who teamed up with Routliffe and Rivard to win the mixed medley relay.
Dorris, who set a world record of 32.99 seconds at Tokyo 2020 en route to winning the 50 fly S7 Paralympic title, clocked 33.84 in Aberdeen to beat her winning time from last summer’s world championships (33.98).
“I’m feeling quite content with how the meet went,” said the 21-year-old from Moncton’s Club de natation Bleu et Or. “It’s where I need to be at this point. I’m happy with how I’m performing.
“For the 50 fly, specifically, my goal was to beat my worlds time, so I’m ecstatic.”
Also reaching the senior-level podium over the weekend were silver medallists Reid Maxwell of St. Albert, Alta. (men’s 400 free) and Katie Cosgriffe of Burlington, Ont. (women’s 100 backstroke), as well as third-place finishers Arianna Hunsicker of Surrey, B.C. (women’s 50 and 100 free) and Nicolas-Guy Turbide of Quebec City (men’s 50 free).
Maxwell, 16, and Cosgriffe, 18, also merited a number of youth medals thanks to their outstanding performances.
Making his international debut, Maxwell captured gold in the 400 free with an S8 Canadian record time of 4:33.57 and took silver in both the 100 free and 100 fly. The Edmonton Keyano Swim Club member also lowered the S8 national mark in the 100 back, clocking 1:09.48 to place fourth among youth competitors.
Cosgriffe, an S10 athlete from the Oakville Aquatic Club, was crowned youth champion in the 100 back and claimed silver in the 200 IM.
“Having the opportunity to race in an in-season international meet was great,” said Cosgriffe, who debuted with the national team at last summer’s worlds in Manchester, England. “I got some best times out of it, so I’m pretty happy with how it went.
“Being one of the up-and-comers with Reid, it was nice not to be the only rookie here, which can be a little bit stressful.”
The 2024 Citi World Para Swimming World Series resumes later this month in Melbourne, Australia (Feb. 23-25). Seven of the season’s nine events take place between February and June, before the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The campaign will then wrap up in November with the last two competitions of the calendar.