2016 Canadian Olympic Trials: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2016 CANADIAN OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC TRIALS

• April 5-10
• Prelims: 10 a.m EST
• Finals: 7 p.m EST
• Live Results
• Psych sheets
• Live stream
• Olympic Qualifying Times
• Selection Criteria 
• World Rankings

We’re in for another exciting night of racing on the second last day of the Canadian Olympic Trials, with five events scheduled for tonight. On the women’s side we’ll see three very strong events for Canada, with the 100 freestyle, 800 freestyle and 200 breaststroke. The 100 freestyle looks good to qualify two individual swimmers, as Penny Oleksiak was under the FINA-A cut this morning and Chantal Van Landeghem is the national record holder. The top four in the event will qualify for Rio in the 400 free relay. In the 800 free it will be the Brittany Maclean show yet again, and the 200 breast will feature 2015 World Championship finalist Kierra Smith and 2011 World Championship medalist Martha McCabe.

On the men’s side it’s currently up in the air whether or not any new qualifiers will come out of tonight, with the men’s 100 fly and 200 back on tap. With Santo Condorelli‘s disqualification this morning in the 100 fly, Coleman Allen comes in as the favorite but will need to go sub-53 for the first time in a few years if he wants to do so. In the men’s 200 back Jeremie Dezwirek was within striking distance of the FINA-A cut this morning, and Russell Wood will be on the hot seat, as the favorite coming into this meet in both backstroke events Wood will have his last chance at making the team tonight.

Men’s 100m Butterfly Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 52.36
• Top Seed for Tonight – Mack Darragh, 53.74
• Canadian Record – Joe Bartoch, 52.28 (2008)

1. Mack Darragh, 53.37
2. Kourosh Ahani / Ivan Cocunubo / Coleman Allen, 53.90

Mack Darragh completed the sweep of the fly events, taking the 100 fly in a time of 53.37. Despite the win, he was well off the FINA-A standard of 52.36. In a very tight battle, three men tied for 2nd place. Coleman Allen was the favorite coming into tonight, and he did lead through 50m, but faltered down the stretch and was passed by Darragh. Kourosh Ahani and Ivan Cocunubo ran Allen down as well, as they all touched in 53.90.

Santo Condorelli was disqualified in this event this morning after recording a time of 52.32. Since he is already on the team, and Canada doesn’t have any entrants in this event, it is possible SNC could allow him to swim this at the Olympics.

New Zealand’s Sam Perry took the B-final in 53.74.

Women’s 100m Freestyle Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 54.43
• Top Seed for Tonight – Penny Oleksiak, 54.07
• Canadian Record – Chantal Van Landeghem, 53.83 (2015)

1. Penny Oleksiak, 53.31 OQ NR WJR
2. Chantal Van Landeghem, 53.91 OQ
3. Sandrine Mainville, 54.14 * Relay Qualifier
4. Michelle Williams, 54.45 * Relay Qualifier

In an unbelievable final Penny Oleksiak did not disappoint, qualifying individually for a third event at the Olympics, touching in a new world junior and national record of 53.31. The national record eclipses Chantal Van Landeghem‘s record of 53.83 from the Pan Ams last summer where she won gold, and the world junior record takes out the 53.84 of China’s Shen Duo from 2014. Oleksiak’s time puts her into 5th in the world rankings.

Van Landeghem finished 2nd in 53.91, also qualifying individually as she was under the standard of 54.43. Sandrine Mainville (54.14) and Michelle Williams (54.45) finished 3rd and 4th, qualifying them for the 400 free relay. The three of them (minus Oleksiak) were on the relay that finished 5th at the World Championships last summer, so there’s no doubt they will be in the hunt for a medal now that they have added Oleksiak to the lineup.

Three more women cracked the 55-second barrier, as Alexia Zevnik (54.53), Jacqueline Keire (54.78), and Katerine Savard (54.94) finished 5th, 6th and 7th respectively.

2015 World Junior champion Taylor Ruck won the B-final in 55.77.

Men’s 200m Backstroke Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 1:58.22
• Top Seed for Tonight – Jeremie Dezwirek, 1:59.06
• Canadian Record – Matthew Hawes, 1:57.34 (2009)

1. Jeremie Dezwirek, 1:58.31
2. Russell Wood, 1:59.99
3. Javier Acevedo, 2:00.19

Cal Golden Bear Jeremie Dezwirek posted a big personal best in the final, but it wasn’t enough to make the team as he missed the FINA-A standard by 0.09. Dezwirek’s time of 1:58.31 takes out his best time of 1:59.06 he set this morning, just missing the FINA standard of 1:58.22. Dezwirek has had a good showing here as he had never broken two minutes before today.

Russell Wood had a good swim out of lane 1, but it wasn’t enough as he touched 2nd in 1:59.99. Wood was slightly off his personal bests in both the backstroke events, and was unable to qualify for the team after representing Canada at both the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. Javier Acevedo took a few seconds off his best time to take 3rd in 2:00.19, and Markus Thormeyer was 4th in 2:00.41. Both Acevedo and Thormeyer have already qualified for the team.

Ryan Murphy of the United States won the B-final in a quick time of 1:54.94, establishing a new personal best. His previous best time was the 1:55.00 he swam at the 2015 World Championships where he finished 5th. The time also places him 3rd in the world for the 2015-16 season behind Australian world champion Mitch Larkin and China’s Xu Jiayu who posted a 1:54.79 Chinese record recently at their Olympic Trials. Murphy’s teammate from the University of California Jacob Pebley finished 2nd in 1:56.40, just off his best time of 1:56.29 and the 6th fastest time in the world.

Women’s 200m Breaststroke Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 2:26.94
• Top Seed for Tonight – Kierra Smith, 2:25.47
• Canadian Record – Annamay Pierse, 2:20.12 (2009)

1. Kierra Smith, 2:23.91 OQ
2. Martha McCabe, 2:25.13 OQ
3. Kelsey Wog, 2:25.42

Kierra Smith completed the sweep of the breaststroke events, taking the 200 in 2:23.91. Well under the FINA-A standard of 2:26.94, she was just over a second off her best time of 2:22.82 from last summer. Smith’s time is the 9th fastest in the world this year. Martha McCabe finished 2nd in 2:25.13 to qualify for her second Olympics. McCabe was 5th in this event at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Kelsey Wog from the University of Manitoba Bisons had a massive personal best, touching in 2:25.42 for 3rd. Wog pushed McCabe all the way to the wall, as she also was well under the FINA-A standard. Rachel Nicol was 4th in 2:27.73, and Ashley McGregor was 5th in 2:28.67.

Esther Gonalez Medina from Texas A&M won the B-final in 2:29.39. She hails from Mexico.

Women’s 800m Freestyle Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 8:33.97
• Top Seed for Tonight – Olivia Anderson, 8:41.75
• Canadian Record – Brittany Maclean, 8:20.02 (2014)

1. Brittany Maclean, 8:21.40 OQ
2. Olivia Anderson, 8:38.34
3. Tabitha Baumann, 8:40.67

Brittany Maclean picked up her third win of the meet, taking the 800 free in 8:21.40, just off her own Canadian record of 8:20.02. Maclean’s time puts her 3rd in the world rankings for the 2015-16 season, behind only world record holder Katie Ledecky and Australian Jessica Ashwood. She was well under the qualifying standard of 8:33.97. Maclean swam the entire race on her own, so she should be able to get under her record at the Olympics when she’s racing head-to-head with others.

Her Etobicoke teammate Olivia Anderson was 2nd in 8:38.34, earning a personal best. Tabitha Baumann was 3rd in 8:40.67, unable to get down to her personal best of 8:32.

Men’s 800m Freestyle Relay- Time Trial

1. Canada, 7:18.26
2. New Zealand, 7:22.10

The Canadian and New Zealand squads swam a 800 free relay time trial in order to try and qualify for the Olympics in the event. The top-4 teams among those who didn’t automatically qualify at the 2015 World Championships qualify as of May 31st qualify for Rio. Canada sat 4th at 7:17.33 with their swim from the Pan Ams, but failed to take the time down coming in at 7:18.26. The team consisted of Markus Thormeyer (1:50.48), Yuri Kisil (1:49.79), Stefan Milosevic (1:49.46), and Jeremy Bagshaw (1:48.53).

New Zealand finished 2nd in 7:22.10, with Matthew Hutchins, Kevin Litherland, Corey Main, and Bailey Main swimming for them.

The Canadian team will have to wait and see, while New Zealand won’t qualify for this relay.