'Hardest work of my life': Rivard overcomes 400m freestyle struggles to win Paralympic gold

Canada's Aurélie Rivard won a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday.

She nearly didn't show up for the race at all.

"Up until 10 minutes before the race, I was like there's still time to go home, we can still get out of here," Rivard told CBC Sports Benoït Huot. 

It's a good thing she didn't: Rivard topped the S10 100-metre freestyle for the third consecutive Paralympics with a time of four minutes 29.20 seconds at Paris La Défense Arena.

WATCH | Rivard completes Paris Paralympic medal set with S10 400m win:

Canada's Aurélie Rivard captures gold to own a medal of every colour at Paris Paralympics

3 months ago

Duration 7:15

Aurélie Rivard of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., swam to her third consecutive Paralympic gold medal in the women's 400-metre S10 freestyle event, to win her third medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and 13th Paralympic medal of her career.

Alexandra Truwit of the United States (4:31.39) and Bianka Pap of Hungary (4:35.63) earned silver and bronze, respectively.

But in between gold medals, Rivard, 28, struggled with this race specifically. She pulled out of the 400m freestyle mid-race at the 2022 world championships, then did not start the event at the subsequent worlds a year later.

"It's so easy from the outside to think that it's an easy race for me to win because I did it three times, but it's been the hardest work of my life probably," she said. "Not even the hardest three years, but the hardest three days since the 100 free. And all of the physical and mental work that I put into this race paid off at the end and I'm really enjoying this moment right now."

WATCH | Rivard says she nearly flew home ahead of racing 400:

Fearing the swim that makes her 'suffer the most', Aurélie Rivard nearly flew home before winning gold

3 months ago

Duration 3:45

Despite winning gold in the women's 400m freestyle S10 for a third-straight Paralympic Games, Canada's Aurélie Rivard discusses the race that makes her "suffer the most" and how she almost decided to fly home before competing in her signature swim event.

Now, Rivard is the first Canadian swimmer to win a gold medal in the same event in three consecutive Paralympic Games since Stephanie Dixon won the S9 100 backstroke in 2000, 2004, and 2008.

The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., native said she has a "love-hate relationship" with the 400m free.

"It's my favourite race since I was a teenager, it's where I feel the most comfortable, it's the race I own the most, I know in my heart," she said.

"But it's also the race that made me suffer the most ever since 2022 when my brain convinced me I couldn't finish this race, I wasn't strong enough to finish this race. It's been hell. I had to literally go back to the beginning. A year ago my only goal was to be able to dive in and then I finished the race.

"I don't know why I do this to myself, to be honest, but I put so much work into this. I worked so much on myself as well, not just as an athlete but as a person. It just paid off tonight."

She'll return to the pool Friday for the 100m backstroke.

"The biggest pressure is off. Tomorrow is a fun event for me."

Routliffe claims bronze

Meanwhile, just minutes before Rivard's race, Canada's Tess Routliffe swam to Paralympic bronze in the women's SB7 100m breaststroke final.

The reigning world champion from Caledon, Ont., touched the wall in a time of one minute 31.58 seconds for her second medal of the Paris Paralympics.

"It was a good race. I get in the water and I just want to race the person next to me. That's exactly what I did. I put my heart into that race and I am happy to be on the podium again," Routliffe said.

The 25-year-old won silver in the 200m individual medley in Paris before finishing eighth in the 100m freestyle.

"Getting on that podium is huge. We've been working on that race a lot. Those girls are quick. Just got to get out and race them."

WATCH l Routliffe wins breaststroke bronze in Paris:

Canada's Tess Routliffe wins her 2nd medal at Paris Paralympics

3 months ago

Duration 3:23

Tess Routliffe of Caledon, Ont., swam to bronze in the women's 100m breaststroke SB7 event, to go with her silver medal from last week.

Neutral Paralympic athlete Mariia Pavlova won the gold medal in a world-record time of 1:26.09 and Great Britain's Iona Winnifrith beat Routliffe for silver (1:29.69).

Routliffe's professional tennis playing sister, Erin, flew in to cheer Routliffe on from the stands after competing in the women's doubles quarterfinals earlier this week alongside Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski.

Routliffe and her older sister were born in Auckland, New Zealand, while her parents were travelling around the world before moving back to Canada.

Muskoka, Ont., native Mary Jibb finished seventh in the women's 200m individual medley SM9 final later on Thursday with a time of 2:41.70.

Katarina Roxon of Kippens, N.L., failed to qualify for the medal race after posting the 13th-fastest qualifying mark.

WATCH | Routliffe discusses bronze medal:

Tess Routliffe happy to win Paralympic bronze in front of family and friends

3 months ago

Duration 0:39

After winning bronze in the women's 100-metre breaststroke SB7 event, Tess Routliffe of Caledon, Ont., says she was happy to compete in front of family and friends, including her sister, 2023 U.S. Open women's doubles champion Erin, who flew in from New York after her run at the U.S. Open came to an end.