Canada’s Danielle Dorris clinched a silver medal in the women’s 50-meter butterfly S5-7 final, kicking off the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Walnut, California. Dorris, a two-time Paralympic champion from Moncton, N.B., led from start to finish, finishing in 34.42 seconds, just shy of her S7 world record of 32.99 seconds. Despite her impressive performance, the gold medal went to Katie Kubiak of the United States, who set a new world record in the morning preliminaries with a time of 37.21 seconds. Dorris’ teammate, Mallory Weggemann, secured the bronze medal.
In a unique scoring system at the Para Pan Pacs, points are awarded based on how close a swimmer’s time is to the designated world record standard for their class. Dorris, who was born with bilateral radial dysplasia, expressed her delight at winning Canada’s first medal, emphasizing the significance of the achievement despite not achieving her desired time.
Later in the competition, Dorris contributed to a Canadian record performance in the mixed 4×100 medley 34-point relay, earning a bronze alongside Fernando Lu, Katie Cosgriffe, and Reid Maxwell. Sebastian Massabie, another Canadian swimmer, claimed bronze in the men’s 50 fly S5-7 final.
Nicholas Bennett also shone, securing silver in the men’s 200 freestyle S2-5, narrowly missing out on gold to Gabriel Bandeira. Bennett’s impressive performance added to his previous success at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
The Para Pan Pacific Championships serve as a crucial stepping stone towards the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles, providing valuable experience to athletes like Dorris, Massabie, and Bennett. With warm conditions similar to those expected in future competitions, the event offers a platform for athletes to hone their skills and strategies.