Parksville's Nicholas Bennett kicked off his World Para Swimming Championships campaign with a bronze medal win in the men's 200-metre freestyle S14 in Singapore.
It was Bennett’s sixth medal (three goal, two silver and a bronze) in three career appearances at worlds.
As the defending world champion from 2023 in the 200 free, Bennett was understandably hoping for a different outcome but was still happy to kick off the meet with a medal, according to a press release.
“This year is really about setting up the whole Paralympic Games quad so I’m quite happy with that start. I honestly can’t be disappointed,” the 21-year-old, who also reached the podium in the event at last summer’s Paralympic Games in Paris and at the 2022 worlds (taking silver on both occasion), told Swimming Canada.
He became only the second Canadian male Para swimmer in history to reach the podium in the same event at three straight world championships. Benoît Huot was a medallist in the 200 individual medley SM10 at five consecutive worlds from 2002 to 2015.
Bennett clocked 1:53.97, just 36 hundredths of a second off his national record set at Paris 2024, to place behind Great Britain’s William Ellard (1:51.08) and Brazil’s Gabriel Bandeira (1:52.03).
The night belonged to Ellard, who won in world record time, just like he had done 12 months ago in the French capital when he prevailed in 1:51.30. Bandeira was also on the Paris podium last summer, in third place.
“This kind of rivalry is something I look forward to every time I jump in the pool to train,” said Bennett, who is coached by his sister Haley Bennett-Osborne, a member of the Canadian coaching staff in Singapore. “It’s great to have guys like that who push me to try and get better every day.”
Bennett competed in the men’s 100 breaststroke S14 next. He is the reigning Paralympic champion and 2023 world silver medallist in this event. However, he had an off day and finished fourth. He was disappointed with both his placing and his time after a 1:04.90 swim, over a second off his Canadian record of 1:03.71.
“Could be anything. I don’t know, to be honest. We’ve been training for seven months,” the seven-time world medallist said via the press release when asked about the race. “Right now, I’m just trying to replay it in my head, and see what we could do better. It’s quite disappointing but, you know, I just have to get ready for my next race.
He will compete next in the 200 individual medley, an event in which he holds the world record and also won Paralympic gold last summer in Paris.
The 2025 Toyota World Para Swimming Championships run through Sept. 27 at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore. 19 Canadians are among over 580 athletes from 75 nations competing in the first-ever edition of the event held in Asia.
