Maxwell paves way for Canada’s second straight three-medal night at Para worlds

SINGAPORE (Swimming Canada) – Reid Maxwell had been eagerly waiting to join in on the podium fun at the World Para Swimming Championships. He did it in style on the penultimate night.

Making his worlds debut this week in Singapore, the 18-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., paved the way for Canada’s second straight three-medal day with a silver performance in the men’s 200-m individual medley SM8 in the first Canadian final of the evening.

Danielle Dorris of Moncton, N.B., and Mary Jibb of Muskoka, Ont., followed with bronze swims in the women’s 50 freestyle S7 and 100 backstroke S9, upping the delegation’s medal count to 11 (2-2-7) heading into Saturday’s finale.

Maxwell surprised himself not only with his podium finish, but also with his Canadian record time of 2:26.72. He had already lowered his own national mark to 2:30.11 in the morning preliminaries.

“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a medal or the time I got,” said the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club product, who became the first Canadian man in history to capture a world championships medal in an S8 event.

“It was not really an event I was targeting here this week. That’s why it’s kind of shocking. But I sure can’t complain,” said Maxwell, who was 10^th in the event last summer in his Paralympic Games debut.

“I’m really happy. It’s a great way to close out the week.”

In the final, Maxwell was sixth at the first turn, took the lead after a superb back swim, dropped to third at the 150 mark, and then managed to out-touch third-place finisher Dimosthenis Michalentzakis of Greece (2:27.24) by just over half a second. Australia’s Callum Simpson triumphed in 2:25.49.

“In that last 50, it was pure instinct. I didn’t want to give up the medal. It was my last chance at a medal here, I just went for it. I didn’t know where I was in the pool. I was blacking out. My body just took over.

“I touched and looked at the time. Just a great feeling.”