World champion and world record holder Aurelie Rivard and 19-time Paralympic medallist Benoit Huot are among the Swimming Canada nominees for the 2016 Paralympic swim team.
The 22-member lineup will be nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The team that will compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will be officially announced at a July 14 event in Ottawa.
Huot of the Para-swimming Intensive Training Centre – Quebec will be competing in his fifth Paralympic Games. The winner of nine Paralympic titles, he was Canada’s flag bearer for the London Paralympics closing ceremonies.
“I’m just so privileged and lucky,” said Huot. “After all these years, to live my passion and be in love with my sport, is so unique.
“Many athletes don’t even have one chance to compete at a Paralympics. I’m going to live it for the fifth time. There are no words. I’m really embracing the moment. I want to enjoy every minute of it and have the time of my life.”
Rivard, of the Club Natation de Haute Richelieu, won a silver medal at her first Paralympics in London. She is the reigning world champion in the 50-metre freestyle and 400-metre freestyle and world record holder in the 100-metre freestyle.
Among the athletes attending their first Paralympics will be Abi Tripp of the Kingston Y Penguins Aquatic Club.
“It’s a dream that so many people have,” said Tripp. “Getting the opportunity to live it is a not-even-on-this-earth experience.”
Craig McCord will be the team’s head coach for his fourth Paralympics.
The athletes earned their spots at the 2016 Olympic & Para-swimming Trials, presented by RBC, which were held Tuesday to Sunday.
The Paralympic Games will be held Sept. 7-18.
| First Name | Last Name | Club (incl. HPC) | Coach of Record | |||
| Benoit | Huot | Neptune / Para-swimming Intensive Training Program Quebec | Thompson, Mike | |||
| Isaac | Bouckley | Natation Para-Performance / Para-swimming Intensive Training Program Quebec | Thompson, Mike | |||
| Danielle | Dorris | Club Natation Bleu et Or | Allen, Ryan | |||
| Gordie | Michie | St. Thomas Jumbo Jets | Bosma, Penny | |||
| James | Leroux | Club de Natation Torpille | Bruggeman Jérémy | |||
| Sarah | Mehain | McGill University / Club de natation du Haut Richelieu | Carpenter, Peter | |||
| Nydia | Langill | DUCKS Swimming | Chappel, Reg | |||
| Devin | Gotell | London Aquatic Club | Craven, Andrew | |||
| Tess | Routliffe | Dorado Stars Swim Club | Desjardins, Courtney | |||
| Sabrina | Duchesne | Rouge et Or Université Laval | Girardin, Johanne | |||
| Samantha | Ryan | Saskatoon Goldfin Swim Club | Hitchings, Steven | |||
| Morgan | Bird | Cascade Swim Club | Johnson, Wendy | |||
| Abi | Tripp | Kingston Y Penguins Aquatic Club | Keith, Vicki | |||
| Nathan | Clement | West Vancouver Otters Swim Club | Ng, Norman | |||
| Nicolas | Turbide | Club Natation Region de Quebec | Pelletier, Marc-André | |||
| Jonathan | Dieleman | Richmond Rapids | Pettifer, Robert | |||
| Katarina | Roxon | Aqua Aces Swim Club | Roxon, Leonard | |||
| Tyler | Mrak | Surrey knights Swim Club | Shaw, Reg | |||
| Nathan | Stein | Surrey knights Swim Club | Shaw, Reg | |||
| Tammy | Cunnington | Red Deer Catalina Swim Club | Smith, Mandi | |||
| Alexander | Elliot | Region of Waterloo | Witolla, Hans | |||
| Aurélie | Rivard | Club de natation du Haut Richelieu | Latendresse France | |||
| 2016 Para-swimming Coach Nominees for 2016 Rio Paralympic Games | ||||||
| France | Latendresse | Head Coach Club de natation du Haut Richelieu | ||||
| Mike | Thompson | Head Coach Para-swimming Intensive Training Program Quebec | ||||
| Vince | Mikuska | Para-swimming Performance Coach, Swimming Canada | ||||
| Craig | McCord | National Para-swimming Coach, Swimming Canada | ||||