September 22, 2004

Cote swims to third gold of Paralympic Games

CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Canada's Kirby Cote swam to her third gold medal of the Athens Paralympic Games on Wednesday, while her teammate Chelsey Gotell picked up a bronze.

Cote, a 20-year-old native of Winnipeg, won the women's S-13 100-metre freestyle for athletes with a visual impairment in a time of one minute, 1.74 seconds, almost two seconds ahead of her closest competitors.

Prue Watt of Australia took the silver medal in 1:03.30, while Gotell, an 18-year-old native of Antigonish, N.S., finished third in 1:03.69.

Cote also won gold medals in the 400 freestyle and 100 butterfly earlier in the Games.

Gotell, who competed at the Sydney Paralympics four years ago, is the top-ranked swimmer in her specialty, the 100 backstroke.

She finished fourth in the 400 freestyle earlier in the Games.

More to come.

Written by CBC Sports Online staff

reprinted with permission