Canada fielded a young developmental swimming team for the Parapan American Games this week and it paid off big time as the squad produced 17 medals and gained valuable international experience as the pool races concluded Saturday.

The 20 member squad, which had an average age of 18, earned three gold, six silver and eight bronze over seven days to rank sixth in the swimming medal standings and was one of the highest medal producing sports for Canada at the Games with one day remaining for some sports on Sunday.

The swimming team here are the prospects for the 2015 Parapan Ams in Toronto and the 2016 Paralympic Games, although some made such a strong impression this week they could be in the mix for next year’s Paralympics in London.

On Saturday, fourth place finishes were earned by Zack McAllister of Lethbridge, Alta., in the S9 disability category 100 freestyle, 13-year-old Micah Mykitiuk of Toronto S10 100 freestyle and McAllister, Mykitiuk, Chris Sergeant-Tsonos of Kingston, Ont., and Jean-Sébastien Lapointe of Repentigny, Que.

Other men’s results, Thomas Swinkels of Lower Sackville, N.S., was fifth in the S10 100 freestyle; Andrew Cooke of Penticton, B.C., sixth in the S5 200 freestyle; Nicolas Turbide of Quebec City sixth in the S13 100 freestyle; Chris Daniel of Calgary and Nik Tolgyesi of Kingston, seventh and eighth in the S6 100 backstroke; and Lapointe seventh in the S7 100 backstroke.

For the women, Kennedy Pasay of Leduc, Alta., was sixth in the S9 100 freestyle; Danielle Kisser of Delta, B.C., and Jenna Lambert of Kingston, seventh and eighth in the S6 100 backstroke and Catherine Mitchell of Winnipeg 10th in the S12 100 freestyle.

The Canadian medallists this week were:

Gold (3): Adam Rahier, Nanaimo, B.C., S14 100 backstroke; Kirstie Kasko, Okotoks, Alta., S14 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

Silver (6): Rahier, 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle; Jana Murphy, Victoria, S14 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke; Chris Sergeant-Tsonos, Kingston, Ont., S8 100 backstroke; Hannah Smith, Calgary, Atla., S9 100 breaststroke.

Bronze (8): Murphy, 200 freestyle; Maxime Rousselle, St-Alexandre, Que., S14 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle; Sergeant-Tsonos 50 freestyle; Jean-Sébastien Lapointe, Repentigny, Que., S7 400 freestyle; Kennedy Pasay, Leduc, Alta., S9 100 breaststroke; Danielle Kisser, Delta, B.C., S6 100 breaststroke; Thomas Swinkels, Lower Sackville, N.S., S8 100 breaststroke.