Nine-time gold medallist Benoit Huot leads Canada's Paralympic team in Rio

Canada will be bringing 162 athletes to the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Canadian Paralympic Committee announced on Monday.

The Paralympics will feature two new sports, para-triathlon and para-canoe.

The team will be led by swimmer Benoit Huot, one of the most decorated Paralympians Canada has ever produced.  

In four previous Games, the 32-year-old Saint-Lambert, Que., swimmer won 19 medals — nine gold, five silver and five bronze.

He was chosen Canada's flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the London Games in 2012.

Huot isn't thinking too much about how many Games he may have left, but admits he's going to savour every moment in Brazil.

"I'll finish with Rio and I'll re-evaluate after the Games if I have another year in me and if I do, I'll go year-by-year," Huot said earlier this week at Toronto's Pan Am Sports Centre. "I'm 32 now and I think it's really difficult to put myself in the mindset of that I'm going for another full cycle."

I've never seen him as dedicated and focused as he's been in the last year and a half.- Canadian head coach Craig McCord on Paralympic swimmer Benoit Huot

The five-foot-eight, 154-pound swimmer, who has club feet, is coming off a successful 2015 season that saw him win three medals at the world championships and three more at the Parapan Am Games in Toronto, including gold in the 400-metre freestyle.

Craig McCord, who will retire as Canada's head coach after the Rio Games, has known Huot for 16 years and says his training has been strong.

"I've never seen him as dedicated and focused as he's been in the last year and a half with the possibility that he does know it could be the end of the road for him, so he wants to make sure he leaves on his terms," McCord said.

Canada's future in the pool remains strong, with 2014 female para-swimmer of the year Aurélie Rivard leading the charge.

The 20-year-old, who captured silver at the 2012 London Paralympics, broke through in 2015, winning two gold medals at the IPC world championships. A month later, the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., native cleaned up at the Toronto Parapan Ams by winning five gold medals.

'Focused and ready'

"Congratulations to this entire group of dedicated, world-class athletes and coaches who have worked relentlessly to earn the honor of representing Canada in Rio," said chef de mission Paralympic Hall of Famer Chantal Petitclerc.

"I know that our Canadian contingent is prepared, focused and ready to take on the challenge of Team Canada's performance goal of placing in the top 16 nations in the total medal count."

Team Canada's oldest athlete is 59-year-old table tennis player Stephanie Chan from Vancouver, while the youngest athlete is 13-year-old swimmer Danielle Doris, of Moncton, N.B.

There are also seven Canadian athletes recently added through quota spots as a result of Russia's ban from the Rio Paralympics.

They include: swimmers Camille Bérubé (Gatineau, Que.), Zack McAllister (Lethbridge, Alta.), Jean-Michel Lavallière (Quebec City) and Danial Murphy (Bedford, N.S.); wheelchair fencer Mathieu Hébert (Valleyfield, Que.); and road cycling tandem Shawna Ryan (Saskatoon) and pilot Joanie Caron (Rimouski, Que.).

The Games, which will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca, begin with the opening ceremony on Sept. 7 and run through Sept. 18.