Nicholas Bennett shed 鈥渆verything鈥� tears during O Canada at the Paralympic Games pool Monday.
The 20-year-old swimmer from Parksville, B.C., won Canada鈥檚 first gold medal of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris with his victory in the 100-metre breaststroke.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a mix of everything,鈥� Bennett said after the medal ceremony at La Defense Arena.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the joy of being able to compete against the best athletes in the world and be the best out of them. Also the relief of finally showing the world I鈥檓 here and one of them, one of the best.鈥�
Bennett is the first Canadian man to win a Paralympic gold medal in swimming since Benoit Huot in 2012 in London.
鈥淗eavy,鈥� was Bennett鈥檚 assessment of his prize. 鈥淢an, it鈥檚 a beautiful piece of history with me.鈥�
He stood atop the podium two nights after taking silver in the 200-metre freestyle.
Bennett is the reigning world champion and holds the world record in the 200-metre individual medley, which he鈥檒l race Wednesday.
The Canadian was the only man in Monday鈥檚 breaststroke final to swim under one minute four seconds in a time of 1:03.98.
Jake Michel of Australia took silver in 1:04.27. Naohide Yamaguchi of Japan was the bronze medallist in 1:04.94.
Yamaguchi had beaten Bennett for the breaststroke world title last year in Manchester, England.
鈥淚 was just more confident. We鈥檝e been working my breaststroke every day for the last year,鈥� Bennett said. 鈥淏reaststroke is such a finicky race for myself.
鈥淚 just had to hold on and race Yamaguchi. That was the only thing that mattered at that moment.鈥�
When asked how it felt to beat world-record holder Yamaguchi, Bennett shook with emotion and needed a moment to compose himself.
鈥淚鈥檓 having a hard time speaking right now. It was surprising to say the least,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 saw him in my peripherals and I just had to hunker down the last few metres.鈥�
Bennett, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of three, races in the S14 classification for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
His older sister Haley Bennett-Osborne, who has been his full-time coach since 2022, watched from the arena seats as her brother executed the work they鈥檇 done to improve his breaststroke.
鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 tired, but during it was I was so excited I could barely watch,鈥� Bennett-Osborne said.
鈥淗e really clinched on the last 25 (metres). That鈥檚 what we鈥檝e been working on the last year because that鈥檚 where we thought he could improve on from Manchester when he got silver.鈥�
鈥淏reaststroke is such a technical stroke, we thought it was really important to dial in how he was going to feel in that moment when there鈥檚 lots of excitement, and its really emotional and he鈥檚 super-tired, super-fatigued. Technique was everything that 25 metres.鈥�
The siblings relocated from Vancouver Island to Red Deer, Alta., last year when Bennett-Osborne got a job coaching the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club at the Michener Recreation Centre.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we have the typical sibling dynamic,鈥� Bennett said.
鈥淪he鈥檚 always been quite responsible for her age and an amazing human being to say the least. It鈥檚 just chemistry I guess. She鈥檚 probably the only person I trust fully to get me to this point.鈥�
Osborne-Bennett, 24, echoed that trust is the key to the siblings making their coach-athlete relationship work.
鈥淓specially with his designation, it鈥檚 really important to have someone that understands his specific behaviours and training mentality,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 just think I know him really well, so it鈥檚 easier for me.鈥�
Canadians have won five medals in the pool in Paris. Swimming continues until Saturday.
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