Aurelie Rivard highlights a special moment in sports with her silver medal-winning performance

PARIS – Canadian para swimming legend Aurelie Rivard showcased her genuine love for the sport on Sunday, through camaraderie and friendship, along with success. 

The Montreal native continued her dominant pace at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, earning a silver medal in Sunday’s women’s 100m freestyle S10 finals. 

Rivard, who holds the world record at this distance, adds to her impressive resume across her four Paralympic appearances. This performance marked her second finish atop of the podium in Paris, collecting a bronze in the women’s 50m freestyle S10 on Friday. 

“It will always be special to be on the podium for Canada and race in front of thousands of people, especially in front of my family,“ Rivard said after receiving her silver medal. “The first thing that I saw when I walked on deck was my family, so it was so special to share the moment with them.”

The 28-year-old surged in the final 50-metre stretch, marching up two spots from sitting fourth at the split, ultimately falling just short of catching France’s Emeline Pierre for the gold. 

Pierre, who earned her first Paralympic medal with her golden performance, held her hands over her mouth in sheer joy and overwhelming surprise as the crowd roared after she touched the wall in the Paris La Defense Arena. 

Rivard understood how special the occasion was for Pierre, and embraced the winner as they looked up together to see the scores side-by-side in their lanes. 

At that moment, the Canadian took a moment to appreciate the growth and power of the sport and cherish how sport brings people together. 

“Being able to be on the podium with a French girl, in a French stadium with French people made it so much more amazing,” Rivard remarked. “I’m so happy to see how many people there are and how happy and excited they are for Paralympic swimming.”

Rivard, who has spent over a decade in the sport representing Canada, acknowledged that there are aspects of competition much larger than winning or losing, shedding light on the two athletes’ success atop the podium. 

“At the end of the day, it’s just a sport and that’s what it’s about. I was happy for her,” Rivard said. “I put myself in her position, it’s the first time she beat me. It’s her first gold medal in the international scene, in front of her home crowd so it’s kind of a dream moment for her. 

“It’s just swimming, so I’m happy for everyone who raced and I’m just proud of people.” 

Rivard will have a few days to reset for the women’s 400m freestyle S10 heats set to take place on September 5th.

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