Aurelie Rivard of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec has won her sixth career gold medal at the 2022 International Paralympic Committee World Swimming Championships in Madeira, Portugal on Friday. Rivard placed first in the women’s 50 metre freestyle in the S10 classification.
Rivard posted a winning time of 27.65 seconds. She reached the podium by 0.87 seconds over Alessia Scortechini of Italy, who finished in fourth place with a time of 28.57 seconds. Maria Paula Barrera Zapata of Colombia won the silver medal with a time of 28.23 seconds. Jasmine Greenwood of Australia won the bronze medal with a time of 28.37 seconds.
This was Rivard’s second gold medal at the 2022 International Paralympic Committee World Swimming Championships. The other came in the women’s 100 metre freestyle. Rivard’s first two gold medals at the World Championships came in the women’s 50 metre freestyle and 400 metre freestyle at the 2015 International Paralympic Committee World Aquatics Championships in Glasgow, and her next two came in the women’s 50 metre and 100 metre freestyle at the 2019 World Swimming Championships in London.
Rivard, who was born with no fingers and a partial thumb on one hand, now has won 16 career medals at the International Paralympic Committee World Swimming Championships. That is two more medals than Canada has won so far at the 2022 International Paralympic Committee World Swimming Championships. Canada has won six gold medals, four silver medals and four bronze medals for 14 medals.
