By Earl Zukerman
Sarah Mehain, a swimmer from McGill, won a bronze medal in the 50-metre butterfly (S7 category) at the International Paralympic Committee world swimming championships in Glasgow, Friday.
Mehain was mobbed by her teammates after touching the wall in 36.98 seconds to give Canada its eighth medal of the meet (one gold, three silver, four bronze). The 20-year-old hopes her world championship success will pave the way for a podium finish at next year’s Paralympics in Rio de Janerio.
“You are always looking for where you are going,” said the Vernon, B.C., native who will enter her third year at McGill this fall, where she is studying in the Arts & Science program.
“Everything you do this year, everything I’ve done for the past two years, is looking forward to Rio. It’s all about building up for that.”
It was her second medal in as many trips to the world championships, where in 2013, she won bronze in the 100m backstroke. At the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, she reached the final in four of her six events.
Mehain has a congenital condition called hemiplegia. It results in one side of her body being weaker than the other, and not as coordinated.
The competition, which ends Sunday, has attracted 580 athletes from close to 70 countries to the Tollcross International Swimming Centre. It’s the largest swimming competition before next year’s Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janerio.
Results of the International Paralympic Committee world swimming championships can be found here.