Aurélie Rivard captures Canada’s first gold in Tokyo

Para swimmer Aurélie Rivard of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. is Canada’s first Paralympic Games champion at Tokyo 2020.

Rivard, 25, broke two world records on the day, winning the women’s S10 100m freestyle in 58.14 seconds, smashing the 58.60 she clocked in the morning preliminaries. Chantalle Zijderveld of the Netherlands was second in 1:00.23 and her compatriot Lisa Kruger third in 1:00.68.

It is Rivard’s second medal of the Games. On Wednesday, she won the bronze in the S10 50m freestyle. She has now brought her career medal total to four gold, two silver and a bronze over three Games. 

It is also Canada’s seventh medal of the Games (1-4-2).