Two Canadian female athletes secured medals at the Para swimming world championships on Wednesday, with a duo of national records being set by male swimmers in Singapore. Danielle Dorris claimed the silver in the women’s 100-metre backstroke S7 event, while Mary Jibb clinched the bronze in the 100 freestyle S9, marking her second medal at the debut worlds. Reid Maxwell and Sebastian Massabie made their mark in the Canadian record book.
Canada’s medal tally stands at five, including one gold, one silver, and three bronze, with the competition concluding on Saturday. Dorris finished her race in 1:23.10, just a second behind the gold medallist Veronika Korzhova of Ukraine at OCBC Aquatic Centre. Dorris, aged 22, had earlier won her heat in 1:22.13, with her personal best standing at 1:21.91 from the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Dorris has consistently excelled in the 100 back at the past three world championships, securing gold in 2023 following a silver in the previous year. Expressing her joy, Dorris mentioned her love for the 100 backstroke and her excitement for the upcoming 50 fly event.
Jibb, aged 18, kicked off her campaign by winning the first gold medal for the Canadian team in Singapore, setting a national and Americas record. She continued her success by setting a Canadian women’s record in the 100 butterfly S9 final. In her latest race, Jibb finished the women’s 100 free final in 1:02.71, clinching the bronze.
Maxwell achieved a Canadian record in the men’s 100 freestyle S8 event, clocking 59.57 seconds in the heats and improving to 58.38 seconds in the final. Sebastian Massabie, competing in his first world championships, set a new SM5 mark on Wednesday. Massabie, who has cerebral palsy, had a remarkable showing at the event.
Jibb will compete in three more individual races this week, starting with the 400 free on Thursday. The Canadian team had other notable performances on Wednesday, with athletes like Nicolas-Guy Turbide, Abi Tripp, Aly Van Wick-Smart, and Jordan Tucker showcasing their skills in various events.
