Canadian swimmer Tess Routliffe claimed her second medal at the Paralympic Games in Paris, winning bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke (SB7) on Thursday.

After returning to the Paralympic podium for the first time in eight years with a silver in the 200m individual medley (SM7) last Saturday, it did not take long for the 25-year-old to earn another medal.

Routliffe secured bronze by clocking in at 1:31.58, earning her third career Paralympic medal. Her third-place finish marked the ninth swimming medal for Canada, surpassing the number it won in the pool three years ago at Tokyo.

Mariia Pavlova of the NPA (Neutral Paralympic Athletes, a delegation representing her home country Russia) won gold, setting a new world record at 1:26.09. Iona Winnifrith of Great Britain secured silver by finishing 1.89 seconds ahead of the Canadian.

Routliffe had a good start from the block in her strongest event, trailing just behind Pavlova for much of the first 50 metres. However, the 13-year-old British swimmer overtook the Canuck at the halfway mark, with split times of 42.52 seconds for Winnifrith and 42.64 seconds for Routliffe.

Although the swimmer from Caledon, Ont., wasn’t able to regain the second position in the remaining half, she maintained her pace and touched the wall for bronze. Routliffe’s third-place performance in the qualifying round earlier Thursday secured her spot in the medal round.

The double podium in Paris by the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships double gold medallist marked a triumphant return to the Paralympic pool for Routliffe, who missed the Tokyo Games due to a back injury.

“I’m here to race and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” she told Swim Canada, afterwards. “I’m super happy to be here, I love getting in the pool and competing and racing the person next to me.

“I’m just happy I’m getting the chance to do that again.”