Toronto 2015: Swimming preview day three

Canada’s double world champion Aurelie Rivard will be pushing to win two of the 19 swimming gold medal events on Monday (10 August), the third day of competition at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games.

On Sunday when Canada claimed a historic 16 medals, the 19-year-old won silver in the women’s breaststroke SB9 and will start as overwhelming favourite to win gold in the 50m freestyle S10, which she claimed the world title in last month in Great Britain. In the 100m butterfly S10 she will go up against teammate Samantha Ryan who, on paper, is slightly faster this season.

Arguably the most exciting race of the day will be the men’s 50m freestyle S10 which will see all three medallists from July’s World Championships in action. World champion Andre Brasil knows he will have to be at his best to hold-off teammate Phelipe Rodrigues and Canada’s Nathan Stein.

The trio will also lock horns in the men’s butterfly S10.

Colombia’s Nelson Crispin, a bronze medallist in the 400m freestyle S6, will aim to win gold in the 50m freestyle S6. On paper, the 100m freestyle world champion should win but Cuba’s Lorenzo Perez has already shown that he is more than capable of causing an upset.

As well as Rivard, Canadian medal hopes will rest with Gordie Michie and Justine Morrier in the men’s and women’s 100m backstroke S14, Jean-Michel Lavalliere in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 and Tess Routliffe in the women’s equivalent.

Others to look out for are Colombia’s Brayan Urbano, who will go for his second gold in men’s 100m breaststroke SB11, Mexico’s Armando Andrade in the men’s 100m butterfly S8 and Argentina’s Anabel Moro in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB13.

Brazil will also be hoping Daniel Dias and Joana Da Silva can top the podium in the men’s and women’s 50m butterfly S5, along with Guilherme Batista in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB13 and Susanna Schnarndorf in the 50m freestyle S6.

You can watch all the swimming action live at www.ipc-swimming.org