2024 Canadian Open: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2024 SPEEDO CANADIAN SWIMMING OPEN

• April 10-13, 2024
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
• Toronto, Ontario, CAN
• LCM (50m)
• Prelims 9:30am (ET) / Finals 6pm (ET)
• Event Page
• Meet Packet
• Psych Sheets
• How To Watch
• Live Stream (VPN required outside of Canada)
• Live Results

Rise and shine everyone — it’s the first session of the inaugural Canadian Swimming Open! This is a four-day meet and we’re wasting no time as it’s an action packed first prelims session.

Order of Events:

• Women’s Para 200 freestyle
• Men’s Para 200 freestyle
• Women’s 200 freestyle
• Men’s 200 freestyle
• Women’s Para 100 backstroke
• Men’s Para 100 backstroke*
• Women’s 100 backstroke
• Men’s 100 backstroke
• Women’s 200 fly
• Men’s 200 fly
• Women’s Para 50 fly
• Men’s Para 50 fly*
• Women’s 1500 free (slower heats)
• Men’s 800 free (slower heats)

*No swimmers currently entered

Barring scratches, Summer McIntosh takes on a 200 freestyle/100 backstroke double here on Day 1. She’s the top seed in the 200 free by almost three seconds (1:54.13) ahead of Mary-Sophie Harvey (1:57.06). In 100 back, it’s the three-time Doha Worlds bronze medalist Ingrid Wilm who leads the way in 58.80. McIntosh is seeded second with the lifetime best 59.64 she swam leading off a Sarasota Sharks relay in February 2024.

Maggie MacNeil is sitting further down the psyched sheet at the 23rd with an SCM seed time. MacNeil has shown off her backstroke speed in yards and SCM–where she’s a 50 back Worlds gold medalist–she’s more known in the long-course pool for her butterfly prowess. So, it will be interesting to her take on backstroke as part of this last tune-up before 2024 Olympic Trials next month.

Nicholas Bennett is the only man entered in the men’s para 200 freestyle, but don’t let that fool you. In just the second event of the meet we may prove to be on record watch. Bennett owns the Canadian S14 Para Record, which he set at 1:54.41 in 2022. Since then, he’s broken out on the international stage; in 2023 he won his first world titles at the Para Swimming World Championships, including the 200 free title.

Other names to watch in the men’s races this session are Finlay Knox and Javier Acevedo. They’ll face off twice this session in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. In the former, they’re separated by less than a second on paper with Acevedo leading the newly crowned 200 IM World champion 1:47.72 to 1:48.17. Tristan Jankovics (1:49.64) and Alex Axon (1:50.27), two swimmers fresh off the NCAA Championships, are looking to get in on the action in the 200 free too, as is Lorne Wigginton (1:50.87).

In the 100 backstroke, Acevedo owns the Canadian SCM records in all three backstroke disciplines. He’s the second seed heading into the event here in long-course behind Pan Am Games bronze medalist Blake Tierney (53.65).

Women’s Para 200-Meter Freestyle — Prelims

• Canadian Para Record S4: 4:08.75 — Joelle Rivard (2005)
• Canadian Para Record S5: 3:21.18 — Marie Dannhaeuser (2000)
• Canadian Para Record S14: 2:15.16 — Angela Marina (2019)

Top 20:

1. Angela Marina, S14 (BRANT) — 2:20.11
2. Jessica Tinney, S5 (AJAX) — 3:45.53
3. Hannah Burns, S4 (LAC) — 4:49.53

Angela Marina, the Canadian Para Record S14 holder, touched the wall first in our first event of the Canadian Open. Marina touched the wall in 2:20.11, splitting 31.81/35.48/36.54/36.28 en route to her final time. The 200 freestyle has been one of the mainstays throughout Marina’s career and at the Tokyo Paralympics she became the first Canadian woman to qualify for an S14 final.

Jessica Tinney touched second in the prelim with a 3:45.53. Third was Hannah Burns (4:49.53) who set a Canadian Para Record S4 in the 100 backstroke last month (2:18.90), but opted for the 200 free here on Day 1 instead.

Men’s Para 200-Meter Freestyle — Prelims

• Canadian Para Record S14: 1:54.41 — Nicholas Bennett (2022)

Top 20:

1. Nicholas Bennett, S14 (RDCSC) — 1:56.85

Nicholas Bennett raced by himself this morning. The Canadian Para Record S14 record holder touched in 1:56.85, about 2.3 seconds off his record time from 2022. It was a solid in-season swim for Bennett, who split 26.54/29.23/30.01/31.07 during the race. After placing 6th in this event at the Tokyo Paralympics, he’s aiming to make the podium for the first time later this summer.

Women’s 200-Meter Freestyle — Prelims

• Canadian Record: 1:53.65 — Summer McIntosh (2023)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:57.26

Top 20:

1. Summer McIntosh (SYS) — 1:58.47
2. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAMO) — 1:58.81
3. Ella Jansen (HPCONT) — 1:59.72
4. Emma O’Croinin (HPCVN) — 2:00.23
5. Julie Brosseau (NKB) — 2:00.37
6. Penny Oleksiak (TSC) — 2:00.91
7. Mia West (MANTA) — 2:01.38
8. Sylvia Statkevicius (ESWIM) — 2:01.51
9. Tess Cieplucha (MAC) — 2:02.81
10. Isabella Ekk (ATAC) — 2:03.15
11. Leah Tigert (TSC) — 2:03.20
12. Maya Bezanson (ESWIM) — 2:03.53
13. Halle West (MANTA) — 2:03.99
14. Paige Stepanoff (TSC) — 2:04.19
15. Danielle Hanus (RAPID) — 2:04.63
16. Julia Ebli (TSC) — 2:04.71
17. Lydia Hart (PCSC) — 2:04.91
18. Peyton Leigh (BROCK) — 2:05.09
19. Zora Ripkova (ORCAB) — 2:05.65
20. Lia Bleakney (GGST) — 2:06.06

Prelims and timed finals are being run 10 lanes across and based on the live results, it looks like the organizers are running 10-lane finals as well, so we’ve got a top 20 rather than the usual top 16.

Summer McIntosh did her work in the final circle-seeded heat of the event. Penny Oleksiak led the heat around at 50 meters, flipping in 27.42. McIntosh, the Canadian record holder, moved ahead of Oleksiak at the halfway point, following up a 27.64 opening 50 in 29.72. She swam a controlled back half with a pair of 30-point splits to earn lane 4 for the final in 1:58.47.

Mary-Sophie Harvey and Ella Jansen, the winners of the second and first circle-seeded heats respectively, are the next two qualifiers for the final. Harvey won her heat in 1:58.81; she swam a lifetime best 1:57.06 earlier this spring. Jansen–a Tennessee commit–swam a 1:59.72.

McIntosh, Harvey, and Jansen were the only three swimmers under the 2:00 mark this morning. Emma O’Croinin qualified 4th in 2:00.23. After setting the pace early in the heat, Oleksiak finished third and moved through to the final in 6th (2:00.91).

Men’s 200-Meter Freestyle — Prelims

• Canadian Record: 1:46.40 — Brent Hayden (2008)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:46.26

Top 20:

*full live results not yet available, will update*

Lorne Wigginton won the first of the circle-seeded heats. Wigginton posted a lifetime best 1:50.01 to get the heat win, bettering the 1:50.87 he swam at the August 2023 Canadian Championships. At 2024 Worlds, Wigginton achored Canada’s 4×200 freestyle relay in 1:47.83, so he could have another drop in store for the final tonight.

Women’s Para 100-Meter Backstroke — Prelims

• Canadian Para Record S6: 1:20.76 — Shelby Newkirk (2022)
• Canadian Para Record S7: 1:19.99 — Shelby Newkirk (2019)
• Canadian Para Record S10: 1:05.90 — Summer Mortimer (2012)

Top 20:

1. Jamie Cosgriffe, S10 (OAK) — 1:11.71
2. Ruby Stevens, S6 (RCAQ) — 1:33.36
3. Yang Tan, S7 (OAK) — 1:33.57

Jamie Cosgriffe touched first in the women’s para 100 backstroke prelims, stopping the clock at 1:11.71.

Behind her, Ruby Stevens and Yang Tan were locked in a close race. They were separated by just two-hundredths at the turn, with Stevens splitting 45.53 and Tan 45.55. Stevens eked out more space over the back half of the race and touched in 1:33.36 to Tan’s 1:33.57.

Men’s Para 100-Meter Backstroke — Prelims

Note: Currently, there are no swimmers entered in this event. But it remains on the psych sheet, so we’ll keep it on our schedule too. 

Women’s 100-Meter Backstroke — Prelims

• Canadian Record: 57.70 — Kylie Masse (2021)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 59.99

Top 20:

1. Delia Lloyd (ESWIM) — 1:00.68
2. Maggie MacNeil (LAC) — 1:01.17
3. Summer McIntosh (SYS) — 1:01.25
4. Ingrid Wilm (CASC) — 1:01.61
5. Ashley McMillian (GO) — 1:01.67
6. Madison Kryger (BROCK) — 1:01.72
7. Danielle Hanus (RAPID) — 1:03.02
8. Halayna Montrichard (BRANT) — 1:03.53
9. Katelyn Schroeder (LOSC) — 1:03.82
10. Leah Tigert (TSC) — 1:04.31
11. Sophie Kissuk (ESWIM) — 1:04.43
12. Jessica Sheng (MAC) — 1:04.83
13. Maya Bezanson (SWIM) — 1:04.86
14. Siporah Song (LAC) — 1:05.54
15. Haper Lipton (NYAC) — 1:05.76
16. Eva Kovaluk (CAMO) — 1:05.89
17. Vanessa Xia (OAK) — 1:05.93
18. Tess Cieplucha (MAC) — 1:06.04
19. Hannah Estabrooks (NEW) — 1:06.19
20. Abbey Cronin (MACC) — 1:06.23

Delia Lloyd earned the top time of the morning in the women’s 100 backstroke, clocking a 1:00.68 in heat three that stood up through the next two heats. The time is just .23 seconds off the lifetime best 1:00.45 she swam in February. This is just Lloyd’s third swim faster than 1:01, before the calendars flipped to 2024 her personal best was 1:01.08, which she swam for 6th at 2023 World Juniors.

Maggie MacNeil won the final heat in 1:01.17, qualifying for the final in 2nd about half a second behind Lloyd. This is MacNeil’s first official LCM 100 backstroke in nearly two years–her last officially registered time is a 1:03.49 from the 2022 Mare Nostrum. With her swim, she’s made herself one of the favorites for the final.

Heat 4 saw a close race between McIntosh and McMillian for the majority of the race. McMillian led at the flip–29.72 to 29.80–but McIntosh was able to pull ahead in the closing meters of the race. McIntosh touched in 1:01.25 for the thrid-fastest time overall. McMilliam clocked 1:01.67, qualfying 5th.

2024 World bronze medalist Ingrid Wilm also made it through safely to the championship final with a 1:01.61 for 4th.

Men’s 100-Meter Backstroke — Prelims

• Canadian Record: 53.35 — Markus Thormeyer (2019)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 53.74

Top 20:

1. Raben Dommann (HPCVN) — 55.53
2. Blake Tierney (GOLD) — 55.94
3. Javier Acevedo (AJAX) — 56.06
4. Finlay Knox (SCAR) — 56.18
5. Ethan Ekk (ATAC) — 56.90
6. Cole Pratt (CASC) — 57.07
7. Loic Courville Fortin (CAMO) — 57.34
8. Benjamin Winterborn (KBM) — 57.35
9. Parker Deshayes (CASC) — 57.60
10. Carter Buck (TSC) — 57.75
11. Ramy Ghaziri (LMRL) — 58.43
12. Kaedin Doung (ESWIM) — 58.54
13. Francis Brennan (BBST) — 58.72
14. Charles Heisig (MACC) — 58.86
15. Lucas Morin (CAMO) — 59.01
16. Gavin Schinkelshoek (WAC) — 59.08
17. Justice Migneault (HPCVN) — 59.44
18. William Beckstead-Holman (AJAX) — 59.63
19. Kale Doung (ESWIM) — 59.74
20. Sebastian Cariaga (MTA) — 1:00.16

Like the women’s 100 backstroke, the men’s top qualifier of the morning also came from the first circle-seeded heat. HPC-Vancouver’s Raben Dommann won the heat in 55.53 which remained the top time of the morning over the next two heats.

It’s a strong morning swim for Dommann, who was about four-tenths off his season best; a 55.09 from leading off the 4×100 medley relay at the Pan Am Games.

Also getting under 56 seconds this morning was the top seed on the psych sheet, Blake Tierney. Tierney’s been as fast as 53.65 this season, which is a lifetime best he swam at 2024 Worlds (also leading off the medley relay).

Both Javier Acevedo and Finlay Knox are within reach of them though and will aim to challenge for the win in the final. Acevedo got the better of Knox in their heat this morning. He won the penultimate heat in 56.06, holding Knox–who outsplit him on the back half–by .12 seconds.

The race for the win projects to be in the middle of the pool as the top 4 have separated themselves from the rest of the field this morning. Ethan Ekk qualified for the final in 4th (56.90), .72 seconds behind Knox.

Women’s 200-Meter Butterfly — Prelims

• Canadian Record: 2:04.06 — Summer McIntosh (2023)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 2:08.43

Top 20:

1. Mabel Zavaros (MAC) — 2:13.64
2. Sofia Sartori (LSU) — 2:13.84
3. Tess Cieplucha (MAC) — 2:16.41
4. Jasmine Nicols (MAC) — 2:18.85
5. Victoria Raymond (UNVAR) — 2:18.94
6. Angela Jiachen Wang (MAC) — 2:19.30
7. Claire Christie (GGST) — 2:20.75
8. Mariana Cabezas Garzon (ESWIM) — 2:20.98
9. Sydney Colquhoun (BTSC) — 2:21.17
10. Jessica Moran (ESWIM) — 2:21.29
11. Kaitlyn Stanojlovic (PCSC) — 2:22.67
12. Megan Donnelly (OAK) — 2:22.92
13. Lindsay Gordon (PCSC) — 2:23.35
14. Kaitlyn Luu (ESWIM) — 2:23.84
15. Elizabeth Coode (CW) — 2:24.98
16. Maria-Theoni Karagiannis (SAMAK) — 2:25.16
17. Sophia Pero (MACC) — 2:26.07
18. Eunice Cheung (NEW) — 2:27.38

Barring a total surprise, it looks like the race tonight is going to come down to Mabel Zavaros and Sofia Sartori. The two have distanced themselves from the field by over 2.5 seconds but are within two-tenths of each other after their prelims swims, suggesting that it will come down to the touch between the two of them in the final.

In her second meet since summer 2023, Zavaros swam 2:13.64 in her first 200-meter fly in almost 11 months. Over the summer, Zavaros pulled out of 2023 World Championships citing an ongoing injury to her shoulders. Meanwhile, Sartori touched two-tenths behind for 2nd place. She swam 2:13.84, about a second off her season-best from the U.S Open.

It remains to be seen whether this was a product of a controlled prelims swim or will remain the race strategy in finals, but while Sartori pushed her pace in the middle 100, Zavaros outsplit her on the final 50 meters by a second. That difference is what put Zavaros in lane 5 for tonight and we see if a similar race takes shape when they are swimming right next to each other.

On her third race of the session, Tess Cieplucha put up a 2:16.41 to qualify third. She just swam a lifetime best 2:14.99 at the Knoxville Pro Series. Scratches are not due yet for finals but it will be interesting to see if Cieplucha keeps all three of her finals swims.

Missouri commit Jasmine Nicols was just off her lifetime best this morning, taking 4th in 2:18.85.

Men’s 200-Meter Butterfly — Prelims

• Canadian Record: 1:53.82 — Ilya Kharun (2023)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:55.78

Top 20:

1. Max Malakhovets (ESWIM) — 2:00.65
2. Kevin Zhang (WAT) — 2:01.03
3. Michael Sava (RAMAC) — 2:01.18
4. Bill Dongfang (ISC) — 2:02.04
5. Benjamin Loewen (CREST) — 2:02.71
6. Zachary McLeod (WDSC) — 2:03.20
7. Aidan Hill (MACC) — 2:04.48
8. Mark Van Eybergen (ACS) — 2:04.68
9. Anton Semenyuk (NG) — 2:05.31
10. Brendan Oswald (WAC) — 2:06.60
11. Diego De La Torre Clavel (ACS) — 2:06.69
12. Leonardo Gomez (NEW) — 2:06.88
13. Jordi Vilchez (BTSC) — 2:07.51
14. Elijah Daley (ESWIM) — 2:07.63
15. Kevin Maher (ESWIM) — 2:09.63
16. Noah Taylor (TSC) — 2:09.92
17. Kyle Stuckless (MS) — 2:13.09
18. Lucas Amaral (NEW) — 2:18.29

There were just three heats of both the women’s and men’s 200 butterfly. In the first heat of the men’s event, Max Malakhovets swam the top time of the morning. Malakhovets clcoked 2:00.65. Not only does that set himself up well for finals in the sense that he’s .64 seconds off his lifetime best, but he’s also put time between him and the rest of the final.

Malakhovets was the only swimmer in the field this morning faster than 2:01, as Waterloo’s Kevin Zhang moved through to the final in 2nd with a 2:01.03. Zhang’s been under the 2:00 barrier multiple times, and took 7th at 2023 World Juniors in 1:58.97. So, while Malakhovets was clear of the field this morning, Zhang could make up that ground quickly in the final.

Michael Sava is also hanging around, touching 3rd in prelims with a 2:01.18. He and his Univeristy of Toronto teammate Bill Dongfang (who like Zhang, went to 2023 World Juniors and has broken 2:00) both moved through to final championship final easily. Dongfang qualified fourth in 2:02.04.

Women’s Para 50-Meter Butterfly — Prelims

• Canadian Para Record S4: 52.09 — Tammy Cunnington (2016)
• Canadian Para Record S5: 54.24 — Jordan Tucker (2022)

Top 20:

1. Jordan Tucker, S4 (RCAQ) — 54.18
2. Jessica Tinney, S5 (AJAX) — 1:09.20

Jordan Tucker is the Canadian S5 Para Record holder but is now racing in S4. She touched in a 54.18, under her own Canadian S5 Para Record. Last month, she set her personal best at 53.46. It’s a strong swim for Tucker in her fourth meet back to racing since breaking her elbow over the summer and having to withdraw from the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships.

Tinney, on her second race of the session, clocked 1:09.20, off her season best of 1:05.60 from January 2024.

Men’s Para 50-Meter Butterfly — Prelims

Note: Currently, there are no swimmers entered in this event. But it remains on the psych sheet, so we’ll keep it on our schedule too. 

Women’s 1500-Meter Freestyle — Timed Final (Slower Heats)

• Canadian Record: 15:57.15 — Brittany MacLean (2014)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 16:09.09

Top 8 Leaderboard:

1. Peyton Leigh (BROCK) — 17:23.66
2. Victoria Sun (MAC) — 17:55.39
3. Lilian Ljuckanov (WS) — 18:07.59
4. Claudia Boily (PCSC) — 18:10.82
5. Reilly Lefsrud (PCSC) — 18:14.42
6. Sunny Xu (ROW)– 18:42.11
7. Analise Ryan (NYAC) — 18:49.50

In what appears to be her first offical 1500 freestyle swim, Peyton Leigh holds the top time in the clubhouse after the slower heats. Leigh put up a 17:23.66, swimming away from the rest of the competition. She’s 31.73 seconds ahead of Markham Aquatic Club’s Victoria Sun. For her part, Sun wasn’t too far off her personal best. She swam 17:55.39, 4.20 seconds off her best from August 2023. She’s running second with the fastest heat still to swim during finals.

Men’s 800-Meter Freestyle — Timed Final (Slower Heats)

• Canadian Record: 7:41.86 — Ryan Cochrane (2011)
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 7:51.65

Top 8 Leaderboard: 

1. William Debroux (BTSC) — 8:26.82
2. Hunter Payne (BRANT) — 8:30.28
3. Riley Carswell (WEST) — 8:41.80
4. Oliver Thompson (OAK) — 8:46.20
5. Nicholas Purdy (NG) — 8:46.23
6. Laurent Verdon (MUST) — 8:48.21
7. Brian Dietz (ESWIM) — 8:50.00
8. Jack Millis (NYAC) — 8:51.33

William Debroux put up a big personal best in the men’s 800 freestyle. He swam 8:26.82, dropping 10.78 seconds off his previous personal best which he swam in May 2023. With his time, Debroux is currently holding the top time of the event with another timed final still slated for this evening.

He’s the only one in the field to break 8:30 so far as Hunter Payne swam 8:30.28, which currently slots him in second place. Payne’s time is a lifetime best as well. He dropped just over six seconds with his swim, bettering the 8:36.31 he posted at the 2023 Canadian Worlds Trials.