FUNCHAL, Portugal – Aurelie Rivard hopes her victories at this week’s IPC Swimming European Open Championships are a preview of bigger things to come at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Rivard won her second race of the meet Monday, taking the S10 100-metre freestyle in one minute, 00.45. She edged Russia’s Nina Ryabova by .48 of a second but was off her world record time of 59.17 seconds set at last summer’s Para Pan American Games in Toronto. She opened the championships Sunday by winning 400-m freestyle in 4:34.65.

The only Canadian competing at the event, Richard is scheduled to swim the 50-m freestyle Tuesday, the 100-butterfly Wednesday, the 200-m individual medley Thursday and end the meet Saturday with the 100-m backstroke.

It’s already been a busy summer for the 19-year-old from St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC. She won five races at the Olympic and Para-swimming Trials in Toronto in April to earn a ticket to her second Paralympics this summer.

Rivard won a record seven medals, six of them gold, and broke two Americas’ records at the Parapan Games. Besides her world-record win in the 100-m, she also won the 100-m butterfly (Canadian record), 50-m freestyle, 400-m freestyle, 200-m IM, 100-m backstroke, and a silver in the 100-m breaststroke.