Canada wins 19 medals at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships

Danielle Dorris (Twitter)

Team Canada has won 19 medals at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, England from July 31 to August 6. The Canadian team won nine gold medals, four silver medals and six bronze medals. Canada was tied for sixth place with Australia for the most gold medals, and tied for ninth place with the Netherlands for the most medals overall with 19. Italy had the most gold medals overall with 26 and Ukraine had the most medals overall with 55.

The Canadian gold medalists were Nicholas Bennett of Parksville, British Columbia (men’s 200 metre freestyle and men’s 200 metre individual medley in the S14 and SM14 classifications respectively), Aurelie Rivard of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec in the women’s 50 metre freestyle and 100 metre freestyle in the S10 classification, Danielle Dorris of Fredericton, New Brunswick in the women’s 50 metre butterfly and women’s 100 metre backstroke in the S7 classification, Tess Routliffe of Caledon, Ontario (women’s 100 metre breaststroke and women’s 200 metre individual medley in the S7 and SM7 classifications respectively), and Shelby Newkirk of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in the women’s 100 metre backstroke S6 classification. Bennett has autism, Rivard has an underdeveloped hand with no fingers and a partial thumb (moderate symbrachydactyly), Dorris was born with only partial arms, Routliffe experiences from dwarfism, and Newkirk experiences from dystonia (muscle contractions and abnormal postures).

The Canadian silver medalists were Bennett (men’s 100 metre breaststroke in the SB14 classification), Routliffe (women’s 50 metre butterfly, S7 classification), Dorris (women’s 50 metre freestyle in the S7 classification), and Abi Tripp of Kingston, Ontario (women’s 100 metre breaststroke in the SB7 classification). Tripp has cerebral palsy.

The Canadian bronze medalists were Newkirk (women’s 50 metre freestyle in the S6 classification), Dorris (women’s 200 metre individual medley in the SM7 classification), Routliffe (women’s 100 mete freestyle in the S7 classification), Sabrina Duchesne of Saint-Augustin, Quebec (women’s 400 metre freestyle in the S7 classification), Katarina Roxon of Kippens, Newfoundland (women’s 100 metre breaststroke in the SB8 classification) and Nicolas-Guy Turbide of Quebec City, Quebec (men’s 50 metre freestyle in the S13 classification). Turbide has albinism, Roxon has one hand, and Duchesne has spastic diparesis.

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