2024 Canadian Olympic & Paralympic Trials: Day 7 Prelims Live Recap

2024 CANADIAN OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC TRIALS

• May 13-19, 2024
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre – Toronto, Ontario
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• How To Watch
• Swimming Canada Olympic Selection Criteria
• Psych Sheets (Updated 05/10)
• Live Results
• Prelims – Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap | Day 3 Recap | Day 4 Recap | Day 5 Recap | Day 6 Recap
• Finals – Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap | Day 3 Recap | Day 4 Recap | Day 5 Recap | Day 6 Recap

Day 7 Prelims Heat Sheet

Steam courtesy of CBC

Day 7 Schedule

• Women’s Para 50 Free
• Men’s Para 50 Free
• Women’s Open 50 Free
• Men’s Open 100 Fly
• Women’s Open 200 IM
• Women’s Para 200 Free
• Men’s Para 200 Free
• Men’s Open 1500 Free (earlier heats)

Good morning to all my swim fans out there. It is the last day of the 2024 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Trials. It’s been a fast six days, and today’s the last chance for our athletes to add their names to the boarding pass for Paris. With the retirement of the Concorde Jet and no “Chunnel” to travel through, the athletes will have to make do with a regular flight time of 7hr and 25 minutes from Toronto to Paris, but I think a trip to the Olympics or Paralympics is worth that long.

We start and end our program with Para events as Sebastian Massabie pulls double duty in swimming both the 50 free and 200 free.  We stay with the speed theme as we progress to the Women’s 50 free, where top seed Taylor Ruck looks to make her first individual event after qualifying for a relay spot on the 4×100 free. Both Katerine Savard and Rebecca Smith scratched this event, as detailed here

The men’s 100 fly follows suit and is sure to be a tough competition as national record holder Josh Liendo has been having an amazing week so far and is your top seed by nearly a second over Ilya Kharun. Both men have already been under the OQT, but can’t rest on their laurels if they wish to add the event to their program.

One of my personal favorite events to swim and watch concludes the open program. The 200 IM is set up to be a great race. Leading the charge is Summer McIntosh, who, despite being one of the best in the world, has never medaled in this event at a Worlds meet (to be fair, nor has she ever entered it). Chasing her are Mary-Sophie Harvey, who has been having a lights-out meet and was a finalist in this event in 2022, and Sydney Pickrem, a two-time medalist in this event. Add in Ashley McMillan, who made the finals at the 2024 Worlds, and you have four swimmers under the OQT, making this perhaps the deepest event on the Women’s side. Talking about saving the best for last.

Women’s 50 Free Para – Prelims

• Canadian S6: 33.36 – Shelby Newkirk (2023)
• Canadian S7: 33.60 – Danielle Dorris (2022)
• Canadian S8: 31.29 – Morgan Bird (2016)
• Canadian S9: 29.86 – Mary Jibb (2024)
• Canadian S10: 27.37 – Aurelie Rivard (2016)
• Canadian S13: Valerie Grand’Maison (2008)

Top 11

1. Tan Yang S7 (OAK) – 31.50 (1101 pts.) ***NEW WORLD S7 RECORD***
2. Aurelie Rivard S10 (CNQ) – 27.92 (965 pts.)
3. Danielle Dorris S7 (CNBO) – 33.50 (942 pts.) ***NEW CANADIAN S7 RECORD***
4. Shelby Newkirk S6 (LASER) – 34.17 (918 pts.)
5. Maxine Lavitt S13 (UMAN) – 27.96 (910 pts.)
6. Mary Jibb S9 (MUSAC) – 30.05 (890 pts.)
7. Arianna Hunsicker S10 (UL/CHPQUE) – 28.89 (890 pts.)
8. Jamie Cosgriffe S10 (OAK) – 29.50 (832 pts.)
9. Abi Tripp S8 (CNQ) – 33.30 (774 pts.)
10. Katarina Roxon S9 (AASC) – 31.95 (757 pts.)
11. Ruby Stevens S6 (RCAQ) – 42.00 (549 pts.)

Tan Yang of the Oakville Aquatic Club set a new World Record in the S7 50 Free, passing the old mark set by the USA’s Mallory Weggemann in 2010 by .14 as she stopped the clock in 31.50. Tan is listed in the results as an international swimmer but has also been noted by Swim Canada as breaking Canadian records, so she may have switched sporting nationalities, or perhaps there was a mistake in the result reporting.

Men’s 50 Free Para- Prelims

• Canadian S4: 38.48 – Sebastian Massabie (2024)
• Canadian S7: 30.14 – Jean-Michael Lavealliere (2018)
• Canadian S8: 27.63 – Feliz Cowan (2022)
• Canadian S10: 23.58 – Nathan Stein (2012)
• Canadian S13: 23.88 – Nicolas-Guy Turbide (2023)

Top 5

1. Sebastian Massabie S4 (PSW) – 38.52 (938 pts.)
2. Nicolas Turbide S13 (CNQ) – 24.47 (892 pts.)
3. Reid Maxwell S8 (EKSC) – 28.36 (860 pts.)
4. Fernando Lu S10 (LOSC) – 25.65 (788 pts.)
5. Charle Giammichelle S7 (GHAC) – 31.69 (711 pts.)

Sebastian Massabie has just not stopped, continuing to post impressive up and down the week. While not breaking a record this swim, he may be saving some energy for his 200 free later on this session.

WOMEN’S 50 Free– Prelims

• World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2023)
• Canadian Record: 24.26 – Taylor Ruck (2018)
• 2021 Champion: Kayla Sanchez – 24.68
• OLY Qualifying/Consideration Standards: 24.70/24.82

Top 10

1. Taylor Ruck (UNCAN) – 25.14
2. Penny Oleksiak (TSC) – 25.54
3. Hannah Cornish (USC/UMN) – 25.59
4. Sienna Angove (UNCAN) – 25.77
5. Sarah Fournier (CNQ) – 25.82
6. Mia West (MANTA) – 25.84
7. Leilani Fack (LOSC) – 25.87
8. Ainsley McMurray (CSLA) – 25.88
9. Dylan Scholes (MAC) – 25.89
10. Danielle Hanus (Rapid/HPCVN) – 25.93

Penelope Oleksiak dropped a massive chunk of time off her seed time to claim the top time so far out of the first circle-seeded heat. Swimming out of lane 0, Oleksiak entered with a time of 26.22 but used her experience to pull through and hit the wall in 25.54.

The #2 seed coming into the meet, Sarah Fournier, added a little time to her seed of 25.24, hitting the wall in 25.82. Fournier finished 9th in the 100 free and is still hunting for an Olympic Berth

The top seed, Taylor Ruck, got things done this morning taking over from Oleksiak the top spot and securing lane 4 for tonight. Her time this morning of 25.14 may cause some to pause as it was more than half a second off her entry time of 24.50 and is .44 away from OQT, but hopefully, she wasn’t firing on all cylinders this morning and saved some speed for this evening.

Men’s 100 Butterfly– Prelims

• World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• Canadian Record: 50.34 – Josh Liendo (2023)
• 2021 Champion: Josh Liendo – 51.72
• OLY Qualifying/Consideration Standards: 51.67/51.93

Top 10

1. Josh Liendo (NYAC) – 50.33 ***NEW CANADIAN RECORD***
2. Ilya Kharun (UNCAN) – 51.66
3. Finlay Knox (SCAR/HPVN) – 52.62
4. Filip Senc-Samardzic (TSC) – 52.82
5. Patrick Hussey (PCSC) – 53.22
6. Eric Ginzburg (RAMAC) – 53.34
7. Sebastian Lunak (UNC) – 53.58 International Athlete 
8. Hayden Ghufran (UNCAN) – 53.69
9. Ali Sayed (CAMO) – 53.72 International Athlete 
10. Bill Dongfang (ISC) – 53.74
11. Raben Dommann (HPCVN) – 53.76
12. Thomas McDonald (UCSC) – 54.00

Finlay Knox, fresh off a new national record in the 200 IM last night, looked strong this morning in the first of the circle-seeded heats as he hit the wall in 52.62 to take over the top time, but it wouldn’t last as ASU’s Ilya Kharun posted a speedy 51.66 in the next heat. Kharun, who entered with a time of 51.22, was .01 under the OQT this morning, so puts himself in a good position to drop more time this evening and to add a second event.

One one-hundredth is a tiny margin, but still enough for Josh Liendo to break his own National Record. Liendo, who set a new record in the 50 last night, has been on fire this week equalling or bettering his best in every swim. Out in 23.68, nearly a full second faster than Knox (24.49) and Kharun (24.52), Liendo’s first 50 is less than half a second off the 50 national record of Knox’s (23.25). Liendo closed in 26.65 to take the win in 50.33. On visual notice, Liendo was a bit long into the turn, so could drop even more time tonight and perhaps break the vaunted 50.00 barrier. His swim jumps him up in the world rankings and into medal contention.

Women’s 200 IM– Prelims

• World Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2015)
• Canadian Record: 2:06.89 – Summer McIntosh (2023)
• 2021 Champion: Sydney Pickrem – 2:09.24
• OLY Qualifying/Consideration Standards: 2:11.47/2:12.13

Top 10

1. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAMO) – 2:11.32
2. Summer McIntosh (UNCAN) – 2:11.61
3. Ashley McMillan (GO/HPCON) – 2:13.40
4. Sydney Pickrem (TSC) – 2:13.70
5. Ella Jansen (HPCON) – 2:14.12
6. Bailey Andison (CAMO) – 2:14.26
7. Danielle Hanus (RAPID/HPCVN) – 2:15.12
8. Tessa Cieplucha (MAC) – 2:15.40
9. Sienna Angove (UNCAN) – 2:15.83
10. Julie Brousseau (NKB) – 2:16.07

Though heat 5, the last of the circle-seeded heats, the top time belonged to Lila Higgo. Higgo, a Michigan commit, used a strong front half to post a time of 2:20.85 out of lane 1. Higgo dropped nearly a full second from her seed time of 2:21.59.

Mary-Sophie Harvey kept things as they had been for her all week, brilliant. Harvey, who qualified for Paris in the 100 fly and 200 free and in the 4×100 free relay, used a strong back half to outdistance herself from Danielle Hanus, Julie Brousseau, and Brooklyn Douthwright to take the win in 2:11.32, getting under the OQT this morning .

Sydney Pickrem was ahead of Harvey’s pace at the 150 mark, hitting the wall after the breaststroke in 1:40.51, .22 ahead. Unlike Harvey, Pickrem noticeably slowed down her pace in the freestyle, hitting the wall more than two seconds back of Harvey in a time of 2:13.70. Ella Jansen, who has had a tough week, was more than two seconds back at the 150 mark but surged home to hit the wall in 2:14.12, to close the gap to less than half a second.

The advantage of swimming in the last prelim heat was in full effect this morning as the Canadian record holder, McIntosh, smoothly cruised to the heat win in a time of 2:11.61. While not overtaking the top time from Harvey, expect McIntosh to be much faster tonight. McIntosh was ahead of Harvey at the 150 mark (1:39.99 to 1:40.73) but shut it down in the freestyle coming home in 31.62.  Ashley McMillan, who finalled at the Doha Worlds in this event, was a little less than two seconds behind McIntosh, hitting the wall in 2:13.40.

Only Harvey was under the OQT of 2:11.47, but with the top four all initially entered with times under that, expect all four and the whole A-final to be much faster.

Women’s 200 Free Para – Prelims

• Canadian S5: 3:21.18 – Marie Dannhaeuser (2000)
• Canadian S14: 2:15.16 – Angela Marina (2019)

Top 7

1. Angela Marina S14 (BRANT) – 2:16.75 (782 pts.)
2. Emma Van Dyk S14 (BROCK) – 2:25.05 (667 pts.)
3. Alison Gobeil S5 (CNJA) – 3:31.59 (559 pts.)
4. Jessica Tinney S5 (AJAX) – 2:37.90 (520 pts.)
5. Ella Tucker S5 (MTA) – 3:49.51 (458 pts.)
6. Hannah Ouellette (LASER) – 3:56.99 (424 pts.)
7. Clemence Pare (SAMAK) – 3:59.90 (411 pts.)

With all seven swimmers advancing to the finals, they may have been conserving some energy for tonight. Angela Marina will swim out of lane 4 again tonight, as she scored the most points with her 2:16.75 swim this morning. The Canadian national record holder in the event, Marina is just a little more than a second off her own record.

Men’s 200 Free Para – Prelims

• Canadian S4: 3:13.87 – Sebastian Massabie (2024)
• Canadian S14: 1:54.20 – Nicholas Bennett (2024)

Top 2

1. Nicholas Bennett S14 (RDCSC) – 1:55.50 (966 pts.)
2. Sebastian Massabie S4 (PSW) – 3:07.80 (827 pts.) ***NEW S4 Canadian Record***

The S4 and S14 national record holders in the event both dove into the water this morning. Nichola Bennett put a strong performance together and is just 1.3 off his national record holder, but it was Sebastian Massabie who lit the pool up, taking a massive six-second chunk out of his own record.