The 20-year-old returned from last month’s Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro having won gold medals in the 50 metres freestyle, 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle S10 races.

Rivard, also a double world champion, set world records in the 50m and 400m events and was widely expected to take home the award at the Swimming Canada ceremony, held as part of the Canadian Swimming Congress in Toronto. 

The rising star was not the only Paralympic medallist from Rio 2016 to be recognised as Nicolas-Guy Turbide claimed the Male Para-swimmer of the Year prize.

Turbide became the first visually impaired Canadian swimmer to break the one-minute barrier in the 100m backstroke S13 on his way to clinching the bronze medal.

The 19-year-old, another Canadian competitor who may be one to look out for at future editions of the Paralympic Games, also finished eighth in the 50m freestyle in the same classification.

Swimming Canada President Cheryl Gibson had earlier presented one of the two President’s Awards to Benoît Huot, a nine-time Paralympic champion and bronze medallist at Rio 2016.

The 32-year-old veteran, one of the leading Canadian Paralympians, made his debut at Sydney 2000, where he claimed three gold medals.

Huot is tied with Michael Edgson as the second most decorated Canadian Paralympic swimmer in history with an incredible 20 medals – nine gold, five silver and six bronze.

He was recognised for his services to sport by Gibson as he is the founder of the Benoît Huot Foundation, which provides financial support to disabled student athletes and educates young people on the importance of physical activity.

Huot was named as one of two recipients of the President’s Award along with Olympic competitor Ryan Cochrane, regarded as one of the North American nation’s best-ever distance swimmers.

Cochrane earned 1,500m freestyle bronze at Beijing 2008 before winning the silver medal in the same event in London four years later.