Canadian star swimmer Aurélie Rivard will skip Para world championship to focus on studies

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 08, 2025 7:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 hours ago

Canada's Aurélie Rivard has withdrawn from enactment for the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships successful bid to absorption connected her studies.

The 29-year-old autochthonal of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., said she remains passionate astir the athletics but wants to absorption connected earning her instrumentality grade astatine Laval University.

"I've ever enactment swimming first," Rivard said Sunday successful a statement. "I took sabbatical sessions and built my beingness astir this sport."

Rivard has won six golden medals astatine the Paralympics since making her debut successful 2012.

"I'm inactive grooming and I'm inactive enjoying the process," Rivard said. "LA 2028 is inactive successful the backmost of my mind. This is my 5th cycle, and I privation to attack it dilatory and thoughtfully, without burning out. I was excited astir the worlds, but this clip it didn't acceptable into my schedule."

Rivard was scheduled to vie astatine the Canadian Swimming Trials successful Victoria connected Monday and Tuesday.

Singapore volition big the Sept. 21-27 satellite championship.