Canadian Pan Pac and Commonwealth Games Teams Announced

At the conclusion of the 2014 Canadian Swimming Trials Swimming Canada announced both the Pan Pacific Championships and Commonwealth Games Teams. The following is a press release from Swimming Canada:

Swimming Canada implemented new selection policies this year focused on selecting swimmers with the best opportunity to compete internationally, now and in the future. In some cases, simply winning a national championship at Trials was not enough to earn a spot.

 “Our selection policies this year for both teams were based on world standards. We set criteria for both teams based on the 16th-fastest time in each event from the Barcelona 2013 FINA World Championships,” said Swimming Canada High Performance Director John Atkinson.

 Ryan Cochrane is one of two Canadians to medal in the pool in Barcelona, along with Hilary Caldwell (bronze, 200-m backstroke), who trains with Cochrane at the Swimming Canada High Performance Centre – Victoria. Both will be back with the national team, along with other veterans such as Katerine Savard of Pont-Rouge, Que., who set a Canadian record (57.27) Friday in the women’s 100-m butterfly.

In addition to 19 swimmers with national team experience, 18 newcomers will be representing Canada at the senior level for the first time.

“The established figures on the team like Katerine Savard, Ryan Cochrane and Hilary Caldwell will ensure there is experience,” Atkinson said. “As they continue to progress, along with 18 swimmers making their debuts, the team is poised to continue its progression to Glasgow and Gold Coast. It’s all part of the journey we have to the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.”

The Pan Pacs team features 21 female swimmers and 15 males, while 20 females and 10 males are nominated to the Commonwealth Games.

“We have more female athletes than males by a considerable margin, however we have to start to address world-standard swimming in Canada,” Atkinson said. “Swimming Canada’s objective with swimmers and coaches is to focus on a two-peak year that focuses on selection trials and summer championships. We need coaches and athletes to address this in their preparation. It goes hand in hand with competing to international standards and winning medals.”

Although some familiar former national team names fell short of the qualifying standards, Atkinson expects the new approach to set the tone for Canada’s road to Rio.

“It’s not just about becoming a national champion but attaining a standard that will be competitive internationally,” Atkinson said. “Over the next two years this is the direction we’re going to continue to head in. The goal for every athlete making the Canadian senior team is to progress from morning heat swims to semifinals and finals.”

 Pan Pacific Championships selection criteria can be found here

Pan Pacific Championships team:
Swimmer Club/Personal Coach
Brittany MacLean Etobicoke (Ont.) Swim Club
Samantha Cheverton Pointe-Claire (Montreal) Swim Club
Alyson Ackman Pointe-Claire (Montreal) Swim Club
Emily Overholt West Vancouver Otters/Janusz Kaczmarek
Dominique Bouchard Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Brooklynn Snodgrass Cascade (Calgary) Swim Club
Hilary Caldwell Pacific Sea Wolves/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Russell Wood Cascade (Calgary) Swim Club/Mike Blondal
Tera Van Beilen UBC Dolphins/HPC-Vancouver/Jozsef Nagy
Kierra Smith Liquid Lightning (West Kelowna, B.C.) Swim Club
Martha McCabe Toronto Swim Club/HPC-Ontario/Ben Titley
Victoria Poon PPO (Montreal)/Benoit Lebrun
Michelle Williams North York (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Sandrine Mainville PPO (Montreal)/Benoit Lebrun
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson Greater Ottawa Kingfish/HPC-Vancouver/Tom Johnson
Alec Page Island Swimming/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Luke Reilly UBC Dolphins/HPC-Vancouver/Tom Johnson
Tabitha Baumann Edmonton Keyano Swim Club/Derrick Schoof
Ryan Cochrane Island Swimming/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Genevieve Cantin Laval (Que.) Rouge et Or/Nicolas Perron
Katerine Savard CAMO (Montreal)/Claude St-Jean
Audrey Lacroix PPO (Montreal)/Benoit Lebrun
Marni Oldershaw Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Sydney Pickrem Neptune St-Jerome (Que.)
Evan White Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Coleman Allen UBC Dolphins/HPC-Vancouver/Tom Johnson
Gamal Assaad Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Will Brothers Island Swimming/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Richard Funk Edmonton Keyano Swim Club/Derrick Schoof
Yuri Kisil Cascade (Calgary) Swim Club
Joe Byram U Alberta
Mack Darragh Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Lyam Dias Pointe-Claire (Montreal) Swim Club
Luke Peddie UBC Dolphins/HPC-Vancouver/Tom Johnson
Kyle Troskot Lethbridge (Alta.) Swim Club
Chantal Van Landeghem MANTA (Winnipeg)/HPC-Ontario/Ben Titley
Staff
John Atkinson Team Leader
Randy Bennett Head Coach
Claude St-Jean Coach
Nicholas Perron Coach
Benoit Lebrun Coach
Tom Johnson Coach
Ben Titley Coach

 

Commonwealth Games selection criteria can be found here

 

Commonwealth Games nominees:
Swimmer Club/Personal Coach
Brittany MacLean Etobicoke (Ont.) Swim Club
Samantha Cheverton Pointe-Claire (Montreal) Swim Club
Alyson Ackman Pointe-Claire (Montreal) Swim Club
Emily Overholt West Vancouver Otters/Janusz Kaczmarek
Sinead Russell Norfolk Hammerheads (Simcoe, Ont.)
Brooklynn Snodgrass Cascade (Calgary) Swim Club
Hilary Caldwell Pacific Sea Wolves/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Russell Wood Cascade (Calgary) Swim Club/Mike Blondal
Tera Van Beilen UBC Dolphins/HPC-Vancouver/Jozsef Nagy
Kierra Smith Liquid Lightning (West Kelowna, B.C.) Swim Club
Martha McCabe Toronto Swim Club/HPC-Ontario/Ben Titley
Victoria Poon PPO (Montreal)/Benoit Lebrun
Michelle Williams North York (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Sandrine Mainville PPO (Montreal)/Benoit Lebrun
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson Greater Ottawa Kingfish/HPC-Vancouver/Tom Johnson
Alec Page Island Swimming/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Luke Reilly UBC Dolphins/HPC-Vancouver/Tom Johnson
Tabitha Baumann Edmonton Keyano Swim Club/Derrick Schoof
Ryan Cochrane Island Swimming/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Genevieve Cantin Laval (Que.) Rouge et Or/Nicolas Perron
Katerine Savard CAMO (Montreal)/Claude St-Jean
Audrey Lacroix PPO (Montreal)/Benoit Lebrun
Marni Oldershaw Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Sydney Pickrem Neptune St-Jerome (Que.)
Evan White Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Coleman Allen UBC Dolphins/HPC-Vancouver/Tom Johnson
Gamal Assaad Oakville (Ont.) Aquatic Club
Will Brothers Island Swimming/HPC-Victoria/Randy Bennett
Richard Funk Edmonton Keyano Swim Club/Derrick Schoof
Yuri Kisil Cascade (Calgary) Swim Club
Staff
Nicholas Perron Coach
Benoit Lebrun Coach
John Atkinson Team Leader
Randy Bennett Head Coach
Claude St-Jean Coach
Tom Johnson Coach
Ben Titley Coach

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About Jeff Grace

Jeff Grace

Jeff is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher who holds diplomas in Coaching (Douglas College) and High Performance Coaching (National Coaching Institute - Calgary). He has a background of over 20 years in the coaching profession, where he has used a unique and proven teaching methodology to help many achieve their …

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