Katie Cosgriffe clinched Canada’s initial gold medal at the Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Walnut, Calif., concluding the event’s last evening. The 20-year-old athlete from Burlington, Ont., secured the top spot in the women’s multi-class 100-meter backstroke final with a season-best time of 1 minute and 8.1 seconds. Cosgriffe won the race based on her 962-point total, marking her first individual international medal.
The Para Pan Pacs utilize a points system to determine winners in multi-class events, encompassing athletes with various impairments. Points are allocated based on how close a swimmer’s time is to the world record standard for their specific class, with higher points awarded for closer times to the record.
Expressing her elation, Cosgriffe mentioned focusing on her race without any expectations. She highlighted her satisfaction with the outcome, emphasizing her delight in achieving a gold medal. This victory marked Cosgriffe’s inaugural international gold medal, setting a positive tone for her future endeavors, especially towards the upcoming Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Cosgriffe also excelled in the women’s 100 butterfly, where she secured a silver medal and set new Canadian and Americas S10 records with a time of 1 minute and 5.77 seconds. She expressed surprise and happiness at this achievement, considering her primary focus had been on the backstroke discipline during the season.
Moreover, the event witnessed a strong Canadian performance, with Cosgriffe contributing to Canada’s four-medal haul on that day. Notably, Cosgriffe had previously won bronze in the same event at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
The championships also showcased notable achievements from other Canadian swimmers, such as Aurélie Rivard winning gold in the women’s 50m freestyle final and Nicholas Bennett securing a silver medal in the men’s 200m individual medley. These accomplishments underscored Canada’s success at the competition and set a positive tone for future sporting events.