91原创 Olympians Swim Club (LOSC) competitor Fernando Lu will be going to Paris this summer.

The 16-year-old qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympics at the 2024 Bell Olympic and Paralympic Trials in Toronto, held May 13-19.

He finished second in the 100 metre butterfly, third in the 100 metre breaststroke, fourth in the 200 metre individual medley, fourth in the 50 metre freestyle, and fifth in the 100 metre freestyle.

Lu,  who has amniotic band syndrome, which affects his hands and feet, competes in S10 level events, a disability swimming classification used for categorizing swimmers based on their level of disability

S10 is described by the Canadian Paralympic Committee as the "least involved" level of physical disability, "for example a partial hand amputation."

Lu, who is coached by LOSC Head Coach Ryan Skomorowski, is no stranger to the international stage, having earned a silver medal in the S10 50 freestyle  and a bronze medal in the S10 100 butterfly at his first Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

That was shortly after Lu captured a pair of medals in multi-class youth final including gold in the men鈥檚 100-m backstroke and silver in the 100 breaststroke at a World Series Para swimming competition Guadalajara, Mexico.

He will be making his paralympic debut as part of a team of 20 athletes.

鈥淭his is a team with an incredible amount of experienced, successful Paralympians who will be joined by a new generation of talented swimmers who will represent Canada with pride this coming summer in Paris,鈥� said Wayne Lomas, Associate Director of High Performance and Para Swimming National Coach, Swimming Canada

Para swimming races will run Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 at La D茅fense Arena in Paris.

Three years ago at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Canada鈥檚 Para swimmers captured eight of the country's 21 total medals 鈥� three gold, three silver, and two bronze.

Lu was one of 23 LOSC swimmers who competed at the trials, the biggest event of its kind in the country.

A total of 857 athletes from 151 clubs across the country were vying for spots on this summer鈥檚 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams. 

After seven days of racing in Toronto, the LOSC team placed sixth overall, winning three  gold medals, won by Julia Strojnowska and Leila Fack, two silver won by Fack and Lu, and three bronze medals won by   Lu, Collyn Gagne and  Strojnowska.

As well, Fack broke the Girls 50 Freestyle BC Record. 

Strojnowska and Fack have also been selected to represent Team Canada at the 2024 Pan Pacific Championships in Canberra, Australia. Strojnowska will then also compete in the Open Water race at the World Junior Championships in Alghero, Italy.