TORONTO- The learning curve continues for Tess Routliffe. The 16-year-old from Caledon, Ont., swam to a gold medal in the S7 100-meter freestyle at the 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games Wednesday morning. Her teammate Sarah Mehain took silver.
It was Routliffe’s second gold, and third medal of the meet, but she still learning how to win in the pool.
“Racing, you need to have experience,” said Routliffe, a dwarf, who won in a Parapan Am Games record one minute, 15.46 seconds. “The experience helps you a lot because you know what you are dealing with, how to handle stress, how to handle competitors. The more experience I get, the more energetic I get. I think I’m taking a handle on it.”
Routliffe won a silver medal at last month’s IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. She was fourth in four other races.
“That gave experience on how to race and how to perform,” said Routliffe. “This is just giving me even more experience.”
Mehain, who has cerebral palsy, led for 150 meters before Routliffe overtook her down the stretch. She finished in 1:19.48.
“Down the last 50 I could see Tess catching up, catching up,” said Mehain, a Vernon, B.C., native who is now attending university in Montreal. “Then she was passing me. I said ‘Sarah, get your butt in gear.’”
Nydia Langill, of Mississauga, Ont., was fourth in 1:33.17.
Canadian swimmers have won 53 medals (14 gold, 23 silver, 16 bronze). The goal coming into the meet was 80 to 85 medals.
There could be a sweep of the S11-13 400-meter freestyle has Canadians had the three fastest times in qualifying for the race for the visually impaired.
Montreal’s Devin Gotell leads the pack with a Parapan Am record 4:32.35. Nicolas Turbide, of Quebec City, who has two gold medals already, was second in 4:32.91 while Tyler Mrak, of Aldergrove, B.C., was next at 4:50.23.
“I have more to give,” said Gotell, who has two silver medals. “I’d like to be better than that tonight.”
Aurelie Rivard, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., will be looking for her fourth gold in the S9-10 400-m individual medley. She qualified first in a Parapan record time of 2:33.78.
Katarina Roxon, of Kippens, NL, was third in 2:42.83 and Saskatoon’s Samantha Ryan seventh in 2:48.91.
One of the main races in the evening sessions will see Benoit Huot, of Longueuil, Que., look for his second gold in as many nights in the S10 200-m IM.
The competition has attracted 228 athletes from 19 countries to the Parapan Am Aquatic Centre and Field House. For full results go to http://results.toronto2015.org/PRS/en/swimming/schedule-and-results.htm.
Also qualifying for finals:
_ Jean-Michel Lavalliere, Montreal, fourth in the S7 100-m freestyle in 1:11.95.
_ Riley McLean, Vernon, B.C., fifth in the S1-4 backstroke in 58.78 seconds.
_ Tammy Cunnington, Red Deer, Alta., fifth in the S1-4 50-m backstroke in 1:13.38.
_ Andrew Cooke, Penticton, B.C., fifth in the S5 100-m freestyle in 42.82 while Danial Murphy, of Bedford, N.S., was sixth in 43.22.
_ Maxime Rousselle, St-Alexandre, Que., second in the S14 100-m breaststroke in 1:13.38. Gordie Michie, St. Thomas, Ont., was third in 1:13.80 and Adam Rahier, Surrey, B.C., fifth in 1:16.75.
Swimming news courtesy of Swimming Canada.