PARIS — Nicholas Bennett won Canada’s first gold medal of the Paralympic Games on Monday.
The 20-year-old swimmer from Parksville, B.C., was first in the men’s 100-metre breaststroke and collected his second medal in Paris.
He was a silver medallist in the 200-metre freestyle.
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The Canadian was the only swimmer to go under one minute four seconds in the race with a time of 1:03.98.
“My head is spinning right now,” said the 20-year-old from Parksville, B.C. “I had to hold on to race Yamaguchi, that was the only thing that mattered. I think I was just more confident.”
Jake Michel of Australia took silver in 1:04.27. Naohide Yamaguchi of Japan was the bronze medallist in 1:04.94
Yamaguchi, the world-record holder, had beaten Bennett for a world title last year in Manchester, England.
Bennett, who was diagnosed at the age of three with autism spectrum disorder, is coached by his sister Haley Bennett.
He’s the first Canadian man to win a Paralympic gold medal in swimming since Benoit Huot in 2012.
Bennett races in the S14 classification for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
“We’ve been working my breaststroke every day for the past year. Breaststroke is such a finicky race for myself. The moment day of is different than the day before,” Bennett added.
“My success is my sister’s success and my family’s. Being up there shows that the Bennetts are doing the right thing and I’m able to show the world that we’re here. I’m just incredibly proud of me, my sister and my family. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Canadians have won five medals in the pool in Paris. Swimming continues until Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press (with quotes from Swimming Canada added by rdnewsNOW) was first published Sept. 2, 2024.
The Canadian Press
<!– Photo: ab85498da48da754a1f15453621530863f069e446bc88dafd6b1e3cd4c855c49.jpg, Caption:
Nicholas Bennett takes gold in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB14 Final at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France on September 2, 2024. // Nicholas Bennett remporte l’or à la finale masculine de 100 m brasse SB14 aux Jeux Paralympiques de Paris 2024, en France, le 2 septembre 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Angela Burger, *MANDATORY CREDIT*, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
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