B.C. Swimmer Nicholas Bennett wins Canada’s first Paralympic gold medal in Paris

Nicholas Bennett won Canada’s first gold medal of the Paralympic Games on Monday.

The 20-year-old swimmer from Parksville, B.C., was first in the men’s 100-metre breaststroke and collected his second medal in Paris.

He was a silver medallist in the 200-metre freestyle.

The Canadian was the only swimmer to go under one minute four seconds in the race with 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, the world-record holder, had beaten Bennett for a world title last year in Manchester, England.

Bennett, who was diagnosed at the age of three with autism spectrum disorder, is coached by his sister Haley Bennett. 

He’s the first Canadian man to win a Paralympic gold medal in swimming since Benoit Huot in 2012.

Bennett races in the S14 classification for athletes with an intellectual impairment.

Canadians have won five medals in the pool in Paris. Swimming continues until Saturday.