Records Broken at CAN-AM Para Swimming Championships

Three days of strong performances at the 2009 Speedo CAN-AM Para Swimming Championships finished on a high note on 1 August, with athletes breaking records and showing spectators the best of the Paralympic Sport.

Vancouver’s Donovan Tildesley set a world record in the Men’s 200m Butterfly (S11) with 2:35.69, beating the previous 2:39.84 record from Philip Scholz (USA). Tildesley said he had surprised himself all weekend, performing at an excellent level and taking home more than one top position. Tildesley also won in the 100m Freestyle the same day.

Montreal’s Benoit Huot saw also strong finishes, taking a gold medal in both the Men’s 100m Backstroke (S10) and 100m Freestyle.

Stephanie Dixon of Victoria also took two top medals, winning in the 400m Freestyle (S9) and 200m Individual Medley (IM). Montreal’s Valerie Grand’Maison took the top position both in the 50m Freestyle (S13) and the 400m Freestyle.

Brian Hill of British Columbia broke his own world record in the 50m Butterfly (S13) on day two of the competition. Hill finished with 27.24sec, which was better than his 27.32sec previous showing. Hill said that even though he had some trouble with his swimsuit, he did the best that he could, which led in fact to his record performance.

The 2009 Speedo CAN-AM Para Swimming Championships took place at the Kinsmen Sports Centre from 30 July to 1 August in Edmonton, Alberta. The competition was a Canadian team selection meet for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships 25m in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, later this year.