By Canadian Press

Paralympic star Rivard, Olympians Oleksiak, Masse, Mac Neil on Commonwealth swim team

May 9, 2022 | 1:55 PM

Ten-time Paralympic medallist Aurélie Rivard will join decorated Olympic swimmers Maggie Mac Neil, Penny Oleksiak and Kylie Masse on Canada’s team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Swimming Canada Monday announced the 31-athlete team that will compete in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to Aug. 8.

The fully integrated team includes eight Para swimmers. Joining Rivard, who has a bronze medal in the 200-metre relay from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, will be Philippe Vachon, a medallist at the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, Australia, and two-time Paralympic medallist Nicolas-Guy Turbide.

“It’s always a privilege to train and race next to our Olympic program competitors and witness some amazing races from Canadian swimmers as both of our teams come together,” Rivard said in a statement.

The team will also feature Oleksiak, who became Canada’s most decorated Olympian after picking up three medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That brought her medal haul to seven (one gold, two silver, four bronze) over two Games. She also picked up three silver at the Gold Coast Games.

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Masse, a two-time world champion in the 100-medal backstroke and four-time Olympic medallist, won two gold and two silver at the Gold Coast Games.

Mac Neil, who won a medal of each colour in Tokyo, will be participating at her first Commonwealth Games.

Canada won three gold, 11 silver and six bronze medals at the 2018 Games. That was Canada’s third-largest swimming medal haul, behind Auckland 1990 (23 medals) and Kuala Lumpur 1998 (21).

Team Canada: Javier Acevedo, Toronto; Sophie Angus, Weston, Conn.; Jeremy Bagshaw, Victoria; Katrina Bellio, Mississauga, Ont.; Nicholas Bennett, Parksville, B.C.; Camille Bérubé, Gatineau, Que.; Eric Brown, Pointe-Claire, Que.; Stephen Calkins, Calgary; Tessa Cieplucha, Georgetown, Ont.; James Dergousoff, Christina Lake, B.C.; Alexander Elliot, Kitchener, Ont.; Collyn Gagne, Oakville, Ont.; Ruslan Gaziev, Toronto; Mary-Sophie Harvey, Trois-Rivières, Que.; Patrick Hussey, Beaconsfield, Que.; Ella Jansen, Burlington, Ont.; Danielle Kisser, Delta, B.C.; Finlay Knox, Okotoks, Alta.; Joshua Liendo, Markham, Ont.; Maggie Mac Neil, London, Ont.; Kylie Masse, LaSalle, Ont.; Summer McIntosh, Toronto; Penny Oleksiak, Toronto; Sydney Pickrem, Clearwater, Fla.; Aurélie Rivard, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.; Katarina Roxon, Kippens, N.L.; Kayla Sanchez, Toronto; Katerine Savard, Pont-Rouge, Que.; Rebecca Smith, Red Deer, Alta.; Nicolas-Guy Turbide, Quebec City; Philippe Vachon, Blainville, Que.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2022.

The Canadian Press