In his debut at the World Para Swimming Championships, Reid Maxwell earned a silver medal in the men’s S8 200-meter individual medley, setting a new Canadian record with a time of 2:26.72. The gold was secured by Australia’s Callum Simpson in 2:25.49, and Greece’s Dimosthenis Michalentzakis claimed the bronze in 2:27.24.
Maxwell, an 18-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., who previously won silver in the men’s 400 freestyle at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, expressed surprise at his podium finish, stating he had not targeted this event for the week but was pleased with the outcome. He made history as the first Canadian man to win a world championship medal in an S8 event.
Following Maxwell’s success, Danielle Dorris and Mary Jibb also added to Canada’s medal tally. Dorris clinched a bronze in the women’s S7 50 freestyle with a season-best time of 33.67 seconds, narrowly beating Britain’s Iona Winnifrith. Jibb secured a bronze in the women’s S9 100 backstroke, posting her fifth personal best of the week with a time of 1:10.63.
Dorris, a 23-year-old from Moncton, N.B., now boasts nine world championship medals, including a gold, a silver, and a bronze from the Singapore event. Jibb, 18, from Muskoka, Ont., won her third medal of the championships, becoming the youngest Canadian swimmer to achieve at least three medals in a single world championship since 2013.
Reflecting on her achievements, Jibb credited her coach, Jy Lawrence, in Surrey, B.C., for her progress over the past six months. Canada’s strong performance, including a total of 11 medals (two gold, two silver, seven bronze), sets a positive tone for the final day of competition at the para swimming worlds.