Benoit Huot Among 22-Member Paralympic Team Selected By Canada

Olympic Trials-finals-9apr2016. Photo Scott Grant

Photo Courtesy: Scott Grant/Swimming Canada

World champion and world record holder Aurelie Rivard and 19-time Paralympic medallist Benoit Huot are among the Swimming Canada nominees for the 2016 Paralympic swim team.

The 22-member lineup will be nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The team that will compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will be officially announced at a July 14 event in Ottawa.

Huot of the Para-swimming Intensive Training Centre – Quebec will be competing in his fifth Paralympic Games. The winner of nine Paralympic titles, he was Canada’s flag bearer for the London Paralympics closing ceremonies.

“I’m just so privileged and lucky,” said Huot. “After all these years, to live my passion and be in love with my sport, is so unique.

“Many athletes don’t even have one chance to compete at a Paralympics. I’m going to live it for the fifth time. There are no words. I’m really embracing the moment. I want to enjoy every minute of it and have the time of my life.”

Rivard, of the Club Natation de Haute Richelieu, won a silver medal at her first Paralympics in London. She is the reigning world champion in the 50-metre freestyle and 400-metre freestyle and world record holder in the 100-metre freestyle.

Among the athletes attending their first Paralympics will be Abi Tripp of the Kingston Y Penguins Aquatic Club.

“It’s a dream that so many people have,” said Tripp. “Getting the opportunity to live it is a not-even-on-this-earth experience.”

Craig McCord will be the team’s head coach for his fourth Paralympics.

The athletes earned their spots at the 2016 Olympic & Para-swimming Trials, presented by RBC, which were held Tuesday to Sunday.

The Paralympic Games will be held Sept. 7-18.

First Name		Last Name	Club (incl. HPC)		Coach of Record
Benoit		Huot	Neptune / Para-swimming Intensive Training Program Quebec		Thompson, Mike
Isaac		Bouckley	Natation Para-Performance / Para-swimming Intensive Training Program Quebec		Thompson, Mike
Danielle		Dorris	Club Natation Bleu et Or		Allen, Ryan
Gordie		Michie	St. Thomas Jumbo Jets		Bosma, Penny
James		Leroux	Club de Natation Torpille		Bruggeman Jérémy
Sarah		Mehain	McGill University / Club de natation du Haut Richelieu		Carpenter, Peter
Nydia		Langill	DUCKS Swimming		Chappel, Reg
Devin		Gotell	London Aquatic Club		Craven, Andrew
Tess		Routliffe	Dorado Stars Swim Club		Desjardins, Courtney
Sabrina		Duchesne	Rouge et Or Université Laval		Girardin, Johanne
Samantha		Ryan	Saskatoon Goldfin Swim Club		Hitchings, Steven
Morgan		Bird	Cascade Swim Club		Johnson, Wendy
Abi		Tripp	Kingston Y Penguins Aquatic Club		Keith, Vicki
Nathan		Clement	West Vancouver Otters Swim Club		Ng, Norman
Nicolas		Turbide	Club Natation Region de Quebec		Pelletier, Marc-André
Jonathan		Dieleman	Richmond Rapids		Pettifer, Robert
Katarina		Roxon	Aqua Aces Swim Club		Roxon, Leonard
Tyler		Mrak	Surrey knights Swim Club		Shaw, Reg
Nathan		Stein	Surrey knights Swim Club		Shaw, Reg
Tammy		Cunnington	Red Deer Catalina Swim Club		Smith, Mandi
Alexander		Elliot	Region of Waterloo		Witolla, Hans
Aurélie		Rivard	Club de natation du Haut Richelieu		Latendresse France
2016 Para-swimming Coach Nominees for 2016 Rio Paralympic Games
France	Latendresse			Head Coach Club de natation du Haut Richelieu
Mike	Thompson			Head Coach Para-swimming Intensive Training Program Quebec
Vince	Mikuska			Para-swimming Performance Coach, Swimming Canada
Craig	McCord			National Para-swimming Coach, Swimming Canada

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