Weekend wrap: Thirty-one swimmers set to represent Canada at 2022 World Para Swimming Championships

OTTAWA – Multiple Paralympic Games champion Aurélie Rivard of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., headlines the 31-member Canadian team announced by Swimming Canada for the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships from June 12-18 in Madeira, Portugal.  

The announcement came following the 2022 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials held at the Saanich Commonwealth Place in Victoria. 

“I’ve been to a number of world championships but this one is especially satisfying considering everything we’ve gone through since London 2019,” said Rivard, a 10-time Paralympic medallist over the last three Games.

“It’s exciting to see a lot of new faces on the team. We’ve had the same group for a few years now, so it’s great to see more swimmers join the team and get to compete at their first world championships.”

Seventeen of the selected swimmers are returnees from the 2019 Para Worlds including Rivard who won two gold, one silver and two bronze medals in London.

Other world championship veterans heading to Portugal include 2019 medallists Alec Elliot, James Leroux, Shelby Newkirk, Tess Routliffe, Katarina Roxon, Abi Tripp, Nicolas-Guy Turbide and Aly Van Wyck-Smart.

Among first-time participants, Nicholas Bennett of Parksville, B.C., was a four-time finalist last summer in his Olympic debut, shattering as many Canadian records along the way.

B.C. wins first national women’s wheelchair basketball crown in eight years

In Richmond, B.C., Team BC defeated Quebec 66-52 to win the 2022 Women’s National Championship Festival on Sunday at the Richmond Olympic Oval.

It’s the first women’s national title for BC since 2014. Quebec won both the 2018 and 2019 tournaments. 

Kady Dandeneau had a team-high 22 points, and Katie Miyazaki added 21 for Team BC in the win. Quebec was paced by 32 points from Cindy Ouellet. 

BC also defeated Quebec 73-65 on Saturday – their lone loss in the tournament came against Quebec on Friday when they fell 63-37. The hosts finished the tournament with a 3-1 record.

Will Marshall named new national Para alpine skiing coach 

Alpine Canada announced Will Marshall as the new head coach of the Canadian Para Alpine Ski Team. He replaces Jean-Sébastien (JS) Labrie who leaves after 16 years with the organization, holding the head coach position from 2006-2010, and 2012 to 2022.

Marshall, with the team for the last seven years, has put his passion and work ethic behind this team first from the head office in Calgary then from the slopes. His dedication combined with the mentorship that Labrie has provided has set Marshall up well to take on this next challenge.

“It means a lot to be chosen for this opportunity and I’m excited to build on the incredible momentum that’s been fostered over the past 16 years with JS’s leadership,” says Marshall. “We’re so fortunate to retain most our staff from the past four years and we’re all hungry to continue to grow, debrief and continually search for improvement in all areas.”

Labrie led the CPAST team through four Paralympic Games, each with an outstanding record of success: In Vancouver, the team collected 13 of Canada’s 19 medals. Four years later in Sochi, it was an eight medal haul out of 16. The parade to the podium continued in PyeongChang with 10 more medals and most recently the team returned from Beijing with another six.

“He’s the reason the culture is what it is today,” says Matt Hallat, High Performance Director for the team. “One of the key figures, if not the key figure, in the last 16 years of the team. I can’t put into words what that has meant over the last decade and a half.”

With files from Swimming Canada, Wheelchair Basketball Canada and Alpine Canada