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Rivard captures silver at Para Swimming World Series

News –

GLASGOW, Scotland – Aurelie Rivard picked up a silver medal on the first day of competition on the Glasgow leg of the World Para Swimming World Series.

Rivard finished second in the multi-class 100-metre freestyle in 59.68 seconds, scoring 974 points. She finished behind Alice Tai, an S8 swimmer who scored 981 points after finishing in 1:04.06. The 22-year-old Rivard set the world record in the S10 100-m freestyle in 59.17 at the Parapan American Games in Toronto in 2015.

“It was a good race, the fastest I’ve been this season, which is what I was aiming for,” said Rivard, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. “There were certain points which I wasn’t good technically, so I know where I need to work on towards Worlds. In general, it was a good race.”

“I need to learn how to start my race fast, I’m starting it like I’m doing a 400-metre. I’m almost negative splitting which is not normal.”

Rivard chose to focus her taper on the World Series instead of the Canadian Swimming Trials earlier in April, where she was selected for the 2019 World Para Swimming World Championships team.

“This is kind of like my trials. I know we had trials a couple of weeks ago but I wasn’t tapered and I was getting ready for this meet. I have two of my rivals here so it’s good to see where I’m at with them and my physical shape.”

“There are a lot of people I can race here. It’s very hard for me to push myself when I don’t have people to race with.”

In the multi-class 200-m individual medley, Tess Routliffe of Caledon, Ont., finished 17th after scoring 701 points as an SM7 with a time of 3:09.58 in the final. Routliffe trains with Rivard at the HPC – Quebec.

Justine Morrier, also from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., placed 36th in the 200-m IM. Her SM14 time of 2:47.38 was good for 564 points.

Full results are available at https://www.britishswimming.org/events-and-tickets/british-para-swimming-international-meet-world-series-2019/bpsim19-start-lists-and-results/