18-Year Old Mehdi Ayoubi Swims 22.3 in 50 Free at Canadian Nationals

2017 Canadian Swimming Championships

• August 4th-7th, 2017
• LCM
• Montreal, Canada
• Live results

A number of Canada’s World Championship team members and World Championship medalists have raced back to Montreal for the 2017 Canadian Swimming Championships this weekend, but it was a fast-rising teenager who stole the show on day 1.

18-year old Mehdi Ayoubi, who will head to the United States to attend the University of Denver next year, took 2nd in the men’s 50 free in 22.35 behind World Championships team member Yuri Kisil (22.11).

Until Ayoubi, Kisil’s 22.5 from three years ago was the fastest by a Canadian junior in at least the last decade. The only 18 & under swimmer globally faster than Ayoubi this season is American Michael Andrew, who was a 22.0 at U.S. Nationals 5 weeks ago.

Ayoubi’s previous best was a 22.7 from the Canadian Junior Championships less than a week ago in Toronto. His new time broke the Quebec Open-Age Provincial Record.

Other Day 1 Winners:

• Kennedy Goss of the Granite Gators Swim Team (trained in the US at Indiana) won the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:09.14 – two-and-a-half seconds better than runner-up Alexia Zevnik. That swim for Goss was a lifetime best by half-a-second – a big improvement after going just 2:12 at Canada’s World Championship Trials.
• The boys’ side was dominated by teenagers on Friday. UBC 19-year old Markus Thormeyer won the men’s 200 backstroke in 1:59.76 – 7 of the top 8 finishers in that race were all teenagers.
• The host CAMO team finished 1-2 in the women’s 50 free, led by Ariane Mainville in 25.56 and Katerine Savard in 25.68. That was very close to a lifetime best by Mainville.
• Manitoba’s Kelsey Wog won the women’s 200 breaststroke in 2:25.76, followed by Sarah Darcel in 2:28.12. 15-year old Faith Knelson from Island Swimming took 3rd in 2:28.45 – she’ll have three years to drop three seconds to catch Wog’s 15-17 National Age Group Record in the event.
• Ajax 18-year old Ryan Telford won the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:13.47.
• The Oakville Aquatic Club won the women’s 800 free relay by exactly 8 seconds, touching 1st in 8:12.22. That included a 2:00.54 leadoff from Jacqueline Keire.
• Peter Brothers won the men’s 1500 free in 15:24.91, beating out Josh Zakala for the win by three-and-a-half seconds.
• Mackenzie Padington won the women’s 800 free in 8:39.23.

Provincial Records Broken

• Nova Scotia – Brett Liem, men’s 50 free – 23.43
• Quebec – Mehdi Ayoubi, men’s 50 free – 22.35
• Saskatchewan – Noah Wasyliw, men’s 200 breaststroke – 2:21.59
• Newfoundland – Charli Leblanc, women’s 50 free – 27.15

Team Standings After Day 1

Women’s Top 5:

1. Pointe-Claire Swim Club – 87
2. Island Swimming Club – 81
3. CAMO – 80
4. University of Manitoba Bisons – 72
5. Oakville Aquatic Club – 68

Men’s Top 5:

1. UBC Dolphins – 148
2. Chena Swim Club – 97
3. Pointe-Claire Swim Club – 67
4. (TIE) Ajax Aquatic Club/CAMO – 50