Kayla Sanchez

View Current photo via Courtesy of Mike Lewis

Kayla Sanchez is a competitive swimmer who represents Canada internationally. She is a 2020 Olympian and Olympic medalist.

2019 World Championships (Gwangju, South Korea)

Sanchez swam the leadoff leg of the 4×200 free relay for Canada, helping the team to a bronze medal. Sanchez clocked a 1:57.32 to open the race as Canada swam a national record 7:44.35, finishing third behind Australia and the United States. Taylor Ruck, Emily Overholt and Penny Oleksiak rounded out the record setting relay team.

Sanchez also was part of Canada’s 400 free relay which set a national record of 3:31.79 en route to a bronze medal, besting the country’s mark of 3:32.89 from the Rio Olympics. Sanchez swam a 53.72 to start the race, followed by Ruck, Oleksiak and Maggie MacNeil.

2020 Olympic Games

Sanchez started off her first Olympics on the 4×100 free relay. In the final heat, she led off Canada’s relay in 53.42, helping her home nation to touch 2nd and earn a silver medal.

Sanchez finished her Games in the 400 medley relay, where she swam the anchor leg in prelims, splitting 52.68 to help Canada advance to the final, where they won bronze.

2021 FINA Short Course World Championships (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)

Sanchez took relay duties to the extreme at SC Worlds. On day 1, she was 51.76 from the swing in the 400 free relay heats. In what was a wild four-team battle in the final that went all the way down to the wire, Canada and the U.S. finished in a dead-heat for first in 3:28.52. Sanchez led off in a swift 51.73 as the squad of Sanchez, Mac Neil (52.07), Rebecca Smith (52.11), and Katerine Savard (52.61) cracked the Canadian record.

The next day, Sanchez split 23.50 to anchor the Canadian Women’s 200 medley relay to 4th and national record. In the 100, Sanchez was 3rd in prelims (52.38) and semis (52.28). In the finals she dropped to a 51.86 but placed 5th. With the 100 free and 100 IM overlapping, Sanchez was out of the final with a 59.07 for 11th.

On the Canadian mixed 200 free relay, Sanchez was 23.51 on the 3rd leg in the finals as Canada powered to a world title. In the 800 free relay, the Canadian team of Summer McIntosh (1:54.30), Sanchez (1:52.97), Savard (1:54.01), and Smith (1:51.68) nearly cracked the world record of 7:32.85 with a 7:32.96. They also won gold. In the 400 medley relay, Sanchez anchored in 51.33 and claimed a silver. 

2022 Candiaian Swimming Trials (Victoria, British Columbia)

Sanchez was on solid form at Canadian Swimming Trials. In the 50 free, she put up a 24.82 in prelims and won the final with a 24.93. She was 2nd in the 100 free prelims with a 53.88 but topped Penny Oleksiak and Taylor Ruck in the final with a 53.68 for another win. In the 200 free, Sanchez ended up 4th with a 1:57.61.

2022 World Championships

Sanchez started her meet off in the 400 free relay, leading off for Canada in 53.45 to help her team finish 2nd. Individually, she competed in the 100 free, making the final and finishing 6th overall in 53.59.

Sanchez held down relay duties throughout the meet, competing in the 800 free relay final on day 5 (1:57.39 on the 2nd leg, bronze overall), mixed 400 free relay on day 7 (52.52 3rd leg, silver overall), and 400 medley relay prelims on day 8 (53.35 anchor, relay went onto win bronze in the final).

Competing for the Philippines 

Sanchez was released by Swimming Canada following the 2022 World Championships, having been a member of the Canadian Senior National Team since 2017. She was born to Filipino parents in Singapore and felt a strong connection to her family history which ultimately led to this decision. 

 Sanchez’s best times were faster than 18 Filippino records at the time:

LONG COURSE METERS

EVENT SANCHEZ FILIPINO NATIONAL RECORD
50 free 24.68 25.48 – Jasmine Al-Khaldi (2019)
100 free 53.12 55.71 – Remedy Rule (2020)
200 free 1:57.23 2:00.35 – Remedy Rule (2020)
50 back 28.13 29.35 – Jessica Geriane (2022)
100 back 59.78 1:03.21 – Chloe Isleta (2021)
200 back 2:15.86 2:16.33 – Georgia Peregrina (2018)
200 IM 2:12.64 2:18.39 – Chloe Isleta (2015)

SHORT COURSE METERS

EVENT SANCHEZ FILIPINO NATIONAL RECORD
50 free 23.71 25.51 – Jasmine Al-Khaldi (2019)
100 free 51.45 55.38 – Jasmine Al-Khaldi (2018)
200 free 1:52.59 2:01.07 – Jasmine Al-Khaldi (2018)
800 free 9:00.26 9:01.90 – Rosalee Santa Ana (2018)
50 back 26.36 27.62 – Chloe Isleta (2021)
100 back 58.12 1:00.42 – Chloe Isleta (2021)
200 back 2:08.32 2:14.72 – Roxanne Ashley Yu (2014)
100 IM 57.8 1:04.82 – Hannah Dato (2014)
200 IM 2:04.64 2:19.10 – Hannah Dato (2013)

International Medals

Place Event Year Meet
Silver 400 Freestyle Relay 2020 Olympic Games
Bronze 400 Medley Relay 2020 Olympic Games
Bronze 400 Freestyle Relay 2019 World Championships
Bronze 800 Freestyle Relay 2019 World Championships
Silver 400 Freestyle Relay 2022 World Championships
Silver 400 Mixed Free Relay 2022 World Championships
Bronze 800 Freestyle Relay 2022 World Championships
Bronze 400 Medley Relay 2022 World Championships
Bronze 400 Freestyle Relay 2018 Pan Pacific Championships
Bronze 800 Freestyle Relay 2018 Pan Pacific Championships
Silver 400 Freestyle Relay 2018 Commonwealth Games
Silver 800 Freestyle Relay 2018 Commonwealth Games

Best Times

Course Event Time Date Meet
lcm 50 Free 24.94 08/12/18 Pan Pacific Championships
Tokyo, Japan
lcm 100 Free 53.12 07/29/21 2020 Olympic Games
Tokyo, Japan
lcm 200 Free 1:57.23 08/09/18 2018 Pan Pacific Championships
Tokyo, Japan
lcm 50 Back 28.13 01/10/19 Pro Swim Series
Knoxville, Tennessee
lcm 100 Back 59.82 04/03/19 Canadian Swimming Tirals
Toronto, Canada
Kayla Sanchez (photo: Mike Lewis) Kayla Sanchez (photo: Mike Lewis) Kayla Sanchez, 2018 Lausanne Cup, photo: Kevin Reust Kayla Sanchez, 2018 Lausanne Cup, photo: Kevin Reust Marie Wattel, Kayla Sanchez & Betsy Wizard, SWpix/Swim England Kayla Sanchez (photo: Mike Lewis) Kayla Sanchez, 2018 Lausanne Cup, photo: Kevin Reust