Canada increased their medal total at the Para swimming world championships on Friday.
Danielle Dorris won the women’s 50m S7 butterfly event just ahead of fellow Canadian Tess Routliffe, while Nicholas Bennett dominated en route to first place in the men’s SM14 200 individual medley and Shelby Newkirk and Nicolas-Guy Turbide medaled. bronze each.
Dorris, Routliffe and Bennett now each have two gold medals and one silver from the meet in Manchester, England. Canada has a total of 15 medals in five days of action with eight gold, three silver and four bronze.
Dorris’ winning time of 33.98 seconds broke the championship record he set last year.
“Being able to do that makes me very happy,” said the Moncton, NB, native. “I think my ending went well [in today’s race]. I think I was able to accelerate enough to help the fact that my start was quite long…along with my subs they are always quite good in my eyes.”
CLOCK | Dorris, highest Routliffe podium:
Danielle Dorris of Moncton, NB won her second gold medal while Tess Routliffe of Caledon, Ontario captured silver in the women’s 50m butterfly at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, England.
Routliffe, from Caledon, Ontario, set a personal best time of 35.14 seconds, while American Julia Gaffney trailed just behind in 36.86 for bronze.
“It was really good to have a teammate to run with,” Routliffe said. “We put in the best possible race tonight and I’m very happy with that.”
Routliffe will swim next in the 4×100 mixed medley relay at 3:32 pm ET.
The 19-year-old Bennett set a personal best time of two minutes and 7.98 seconds to win his gold medal nearly three seconds ahead of silver medalist Rhys Darbey of England (2:10.95).
Ukrainian Dmytro Vanzenko won bronze in 2:11.41.
CLOCK | Bennett claims the second gold of the match:
Parksville BC’s Nicholas Bennett claimed the gold medal in the SM14 200m individual medley with a time of 2:07.98 at the World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester.
Bennett, from Parksville, BC, was the youngest Canadian at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, where he failed to make a podium finish, but quickly rose through the ranks.
On Friday he threatened the world record of 2:07.50.
“That was just the goal, to put it all in the pool and try to get the world record or as close as possible. We did it. Every ounce of energy is out,” Bennett said.
Meanwhile, Newkirk claimed his second medal of the meet after winning gold in the S6 100 backstroke.
The Saskatoon native set a time of 34.04 seconds Friday to take bronze. Ukraine’s Anna Hontar broke the world record by capturing gold in 32.55 seconds, while China’s Yuyan Jiang took silver in 32.90 seconds, an Asian record.
Newkirk missed the final at the Tokyo Paralympics event and came fourth at last year’s worlds.
“It’s good to finally get on that podium and I’m looking forward to continuing, especially next year before Paris,” said Newkirk.
CLOCK | Bronze Newkirk bags:
Saskatoon’s Shelby Newkirk swam to a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle S6 category at the Paralympic world championships in Manchester on Friday.
Turbide’s podium appearance is the third of his career at Worlds and the first at the bronze medal position, along with a pair of Paralympic medals.
The 26-year-old won his last medal with a time of 23.88 seconds in the men’s freestyle S13 50. Ukraine’s Oleksii Virchenko took gold in 23.47 seconds and Uzbekistan’s Islam Azlanov took silver in 23. .78.
Turbide’s time also set a personal best.
“I couldn’t be happier, really. Everything turned out the way I thought it would so I can pat myself on the shoulder and say good job,” he said.
Live coverage of the Para swimming world championships continues through Sunday on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
CLOCK | Turbide nothing to bronze:
Nicolas-Guy Turbide of Quebec City claimed bronze at the world para swimming championships in the S13 50m freestyle race in Manchester on Friday.
Team Canada
- Nicholas Bennett— Parksville, BC
- Katie Cosgriffe— Burlington, Ontario
- Danielle Dorris— Moncton, N.B.
- Sabrina Duchesne— Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que.
- Alexander Elliot— Kitchener, Ontario
- Nikita Ens— saskatoon
- Arianna Hunsicker— Surrey, BC
- James Leroux— Regret, what
- Angela Marina— Cambridge, Ont.
- Shelby New York— saskatoon
- Clemence Pare — Boucherville, Que.
- Aurelie Rivard— Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.
- Tess Routliffe Caledon, Ontario
- Katarina Roxon— Kippens, Netherlands
- Jessica Tinney Scarborough, Ontario
- Abi Tripp— Kingston, Ont.
- Jordan Tucker— Guelph, Ontario
- Nicolas-Guy Turbide — quebec city
- Philippe Vachon— Blainville, Que.
- Aly Van Wyck-Smart— toronto
- Zach Zone — Simcoe, Ontario
