Paralympic silver medals for Canadian swimmers Nicholas Bennett, Tess Routliffe in Paris

\PARIS — Canadian swimmers Nicholas Bennett and Tess Routliffe have each won a silver medal, respectively, at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

Bennett, a 20-year-old from Parksville, B.C., was second in men’s 200-metre freestyle to claim the first Paralympic medal of his career.

Britain’s William Ellard set a world record of one minute 51.30 seconds to take gold at La Defense Arena.

Bennett finished in 1:53.61 ahead of bronze medallist Jack Ireland of Australia.

Bennett, who is autistic, races the S14 classification for athletes with an intellectual impairment.

His sister Haley Bennett is his coach.

Routliffe, 25, is from Caledon, Ont. She was second in the women’s 200-metre individual medley for the second medal of her career.

Routliffe, who was born with shortened limbs, was a silver medallist in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

She wasn’t able to compete in Tokyo three years ago because of a broken back. A bar bell fell on her back during a weight-training session.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2024.

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