The records keep falling for Parksville’s Nicholas Bennett.
On Friday, Bennett, coached by his sister Haley, broke the world record in the men’s S14 200-metre individual medley on Friday at the Canadian Para swimming Paralympic Games trials in Toronto.
Bennett is the the reigning world champion in the event, and finished in a time of two minutes, 5.97 seconds for the win in the multiclass race. The previous world mark of 2:07.50 set by Gabriel Bandeira of Brazil.
“I don’t think I have the words right now to express how overwhelmingly positive this makes me feel,’’ Bennett told paralympic.ca. “I figured I could take a couple of tenths off it (the world mark) after the preliminaries but a whole second and half puts me ahead of schedule.’’
Bennett, who was a 2020 Paralympian, has now met the ‘A’ standard in two events, according to a press release. That standard is a requirement to be considered for nomination to the 2024 Paralympic Games team.
Bennett formerly trained at the Ravensong Aquatic Club in Qualicum Beach and now works out of the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club in Alberta.
READ MORE: Bennett named Canada’s 2023 Paralympic male swimmer of the year
Nicholas Bennett was named Canada’s 2023 Male Swimmer of the Year in the Paralympic program.
The S14 athlete claimed his first career world titles last year in Manchester, England, in the 200-m freestyle and the 200 individual medley, and nearly added a third one in the 100 breaststroke, where he placed second. He lowered his own national standards in both the 200 IM and 100 breast, while also shattering the Americas mark in the latter.
— NEWS Staff
