2024 Canadian Open: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 SPEEDO CANADIAN SWIMMING OPEN

The third night of the 2024 Canadian Swimming Open continues Friday night with finals of the 400 free, 100 fly, 50 breast, and 200 back.

A thrilling showdown is brewing in the women’s 100 fly, where 17-year-old phenom Summer McIntosh (58.14) was a couple tenths quicker than reigning Olympic champion Maggie MacNeil (58.34) in prelims this morning.

Finlay Knox is also aiming to complete a men’s 100 fly/50 breast double after qualifying 1st and 2nd, respectively, this morning.

ORDER OF EVENTS:

  • Women’s para 400 free
  • Men’s para 400 free
  • Women’s 400 free
  • Men’s 400 free
  • Women’s para 100 fly
  • Men’s para 100 fly
  • Women’s 100 fly
  • Men’s 100 fly
  • Women’s 50 breast
  • Men’s 50 breast
  • Women’s 200 back
  • Men’s 200 back

WOMEN’S PARA 400 FREE — FINAL

  • Canadian Para Record S7: 5:20.59, Sabrina Duchesne (2021)
  1. Yang Tan, SB7 (OAK) – 6:21.48 (588 points)

Oakville’s Yang Tan improved upon her prelims performance by nine seconds, but her time of 6:21.48 in tonight’s final was still more than seven seconds off her personal-best 6:13.94 from February.

MEN’S PARA 400 FREE — FINAL

  • Canadian Para Record S8: 4:33.57, Reid Maxwell (2024)
  1. Philippe Vachon, S8 (MEGO) – 4:43.65 (872 points)

Philippe Vachon got under 4:44 for the first time this year at 4:43.65. His best time is six years ago, a 4:37.61 at the 2018 Para Pan Pacs.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 3:56.08, Summer McIntosh (2023)
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 4:07.90
  1. Ella Jansen (HPCONT) – 4:11.54
  2. Mabel Zavaros (MAC) – 4:15.25
  3. Emma O’Croinin (HPCVN) – 4:17.74
  4. Maya Bezanson (ESWIM) – 4:19.70
  5. Paige Stepanoff (TSC) – 4:20.65
  6. Laila Oravsky (BTSC) – 4:21.32
  7. Peyton Leigh (BROCK) – 4:21.86
  8. Lydia Hart (PCSC) – 4:25.14
  9. Helen Anne Sava (RAMAC) – 4:27.07
  10. Danielle Treasure (WES) – 4:27.24

Ella Jansen cruised to victory in the women’s 400 free with a time of 4:11.54, almost four seconds ahead of University of Florida pro Mabel Zavaros. Jansen, a Tennessee commit (’24), has been as fast as 4:07.18 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Fort Lauderdale last March, which cleared the Olympic qualifying time (4:07.90).

Zavaros earned a runner-up finish in 4:15.25, about four seconds shy of her personal-best 4:10.96 from the 2023 Canadian Trials.

Emma O’Croinin wasn’t far behind with a 3rd-place showing in 4:17.74. The 20-year-old owns a lifetime best of 4:08.11 from the 2019 World Junior Championships, where she won silver.

Maya Bezanson was the only other swimmer under 4:20 at 4:19.70, her first time breaking that barrier this year. The Louisville commit (’25) clocked a personal-best 4:15.71 back in 2022.

The youngest A-finalist, Toronto Swim Club 14-year-old Paige Stepanoff, knocked a few seconds off her best time with a 5th-place finish in 4:20.65.

MEN’S 400 FREE — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 3:43.46, Ryan Cochrane (2014)
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 3:46.78
  1. Alexander Axon (MAC) – 3:49.33
  2. Lorne Wigginton (HPCONT) – 3:53.40
  3. Mark Van Eybergen (ACS) – 4:00.21
  4. Sebastian Paulins (BRANT) – 4:00.38
  5. Max Vorobiev (MAC) – 4:00.42
  6. Owen Ekk (ATAC) – 4:04.98
  7. William Debroux (BTSC) – 4:06.04
  8. Francis Brennan (BBST) – 4:06.06
  9. Hunter Payne (BRANT) – 4:07.71
  10. Carter Scheffel (BRANT) – 4:07.83

Ohio State sophomore Alexander Axon dipped under 3:50 in the 400 free for the first time on his way to the win in 3:49.33. The 20-year-old dropped almost two seconds off his previous-best 3:51.16 from last summer.

Lorne Wigginton led through the first 300 meters of the race before Axon caught him with 50 meters remaining. The Michigan commit (’24) ended up placing 2nd in 3:53.40 — the only other swimmer in the field under four minutes — after splitting 2:51.46 through the first 300 meters. Wigginton has been as fast as 3:49.05 at the World Junior Championships last September, where he placed 4th.

Mark Van Eybergen (4:00.21), Sebastian Paulins (4:00.38), and Max Vorobiev (4:00.42) were separated by just a couple tenths in the battle for 3rd place. Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club 15-year-old Owen Ekk was about four seconds off his best time from last summer (4:00.57) with his 6th-place showing in 4:04.98.

WOMEN’S PARA 100 FLY — FINAL

  1. Angela Marina, SB14 (BRANT) – 1:09.23 (825 points)

Brantford’s Angela Marina barely missed her SB14 Canadian record from last summer’s Ontario Championships (1:09.17) by a blink with her time of 1:09.23 tonight. She also went under 1:10 this morning at 1:09.85 in prelims.

MEN’S PARA 100 FLY — FINAL

  • Canadian Para Record S13: 59.94, Brian Hill (2009)
  1. Caleb Arndt, S13 (NEW) – 1:09.52 (538 points)

Caleb Arndt tallied a new season-best time of 1:09.52 in the para 100 fly final, earning 538 points in his S13 classification. He owns a lifetime best of 1:06.52.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 55.59, Maggie MacNeil (2021)
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 57.92
  1. Summer McIntosh (SYS) – 57.19
  2. Maggie MacNeil (LAC) – 57.24
  3. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAMO) – 58.05
  4. Rebecca Smith (CASC) – 58.83
  5. Danielle Hanus (RAPID) – 59.74
  6. Sofia Sartori (LSU) – 59.84
  7. Victoria Raymond (UNVAR) – 1:00.95
  8. Lila Bleakney (GGST) – 1:01.17
  9. Mia West (MANTA) – 1:01.25
  10. Zora Ripkova (ORCAB) – 1:01.88

The women’s 100 fly lived up to the hype as 17-year-old Summer McIntosh (57.19) eked past Maggie MacNeil (57.24) by just .05 seconds for the victory. It marked another lifetime best for McIntosh, who took more than half a second off her previous-best 57.86 from last May.

MacNeil has been as fast as 55.59 during her 2021 Olympic win in Tokyo. Her fastest time this year is 57.18 from January’s Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville.

Mary-Sophie Harvey posted a personal-best 58.05 for 3rd place, shaving almost a tenth off her previous-best 58.12 from February. She’s now only about a tenth shy of the Olympic ‘A’ cut (57.92). It’s the second lifetime best of the meet for the 24-year-old Harvey, who clocked a personal-best 200 free time of 1:56.76 on Wednesday to become the fourth-fastest Canadian woman ever in the event.

Rebecca Smith, 24, placed 4th in 58.83, about a second behind her personal-best 57.59 from the 2019 World Championships.

MEN’S 100 FLY — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 50.34, Josh Liendo (2023)
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 51.67
  1. Finlay Knox (SCAR) – 52.47
  2. Eric Ginzburg (RAMAC) – 54.13
  3. Bill Dongfang (ISC) – 54.59
  4. Aidan Hill (MACC) – 54.63
  5. Max Malakhovets (ESWIM) – 54.88
  6. Justice Migneault (HPCVN) – 54.96
  7. Jordi Vilchez (BTSC) – 55.13
  8. Alexandre Perrault (OTTSC) – 55.68
  9. Michael Andrew Sava (RAMAC) – 55.79
  10. Dillon Fernando (RAMAC) – 55.87

Finlay Knox dominated the men’s 100 fly with a winning time of 52.47, almost two seconds clear of runner-up finisher Eric Ginzburg (54.13). Knox is the fastest Canadian in the event this year at 52.04 from the 2024 World Championships in February. He owns a lifetime best of 51.86 from the 2022 Canadian Trials.

Ginzburg set a new best time of 54.13 en route to 2nd place. The Ramac Aquatic Club product sliced .16 seconds off his previous-best 54.29 from last month’s Winter Ontario Championships.

Bill Dongfang (54.59), Aidan Hill (54.63), Max Malakhovets (54.88), and Justice Migneault (54.96) also broke the 55-second barrier in the final. James Ward triumphed in the B-final with a time of 54.40 that would have placed him 3rd in tonight’s A-final.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 30.23, Amanda Reason (2009)
  1. Shona Branton (WES) – 30.99
  2. Halle West (MANTA) – 31.74
  3. Ashley McMillan (GO) – 32.15
  4. Madyson Hartway (SYS) – 32.49
  5. Riley Tofflemire (MMST) – 32.96
  6. Alexandra Leno (ESWIM) – 33.06
  7. Adriana Martone (BTSC) – 33.14
  8. Paige Banton (SSAT) – 33.66
  9. Tatyanna Goyette (CAMO) – 33.72
  10. Nicole Lau (DUCKS) – 34.26

Shona Branton continued her momentum from last night’s 100 breast victory (1:07.40) with a 50 breast win in 30.99, just a couple tenths off her personal-best 30.75 from the Luxembourg Euro Meet in January.

Branton reached the wall almost a second ahead of Halle West (31.74), a class of 2026 high school recruit who owns a lifetime best of 31.38 from World Juniors last September.

HPC-Ontario 20-year-old Ashley McMillan pulled off a big time drop on her way to a 3rd-place finish in 32.15. Her best time before today stood at 32.70 from December’s U.S. Open.

Sarasota Sharks 16-year-old Madyson Hartway, impressed with a 4th-place showing in 32.49. She has actually been faster before at 32.34 last August.

The youngest A-finalist in the field, Etobicoke Swim Club 13-year-old Alexandra Leno, placed 6th in 33.06. She lowered her lifetime best by almost a second, bettering her 33.97 from last August.

MEN’S 50 BREAST — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 27.45, Scott Dickens (2009)
  1. Finlay Knox (SCAR) – 28.23
  2. Apollo Hess (HPCONT) – 28.37
  3. Jordan Willis (MACC) – 28.80
  4. Blake Tierney (GOLD) – 28.91
  5. Camren Courchene-Carter (BROCK) – 28.92
  6. Lucas Morin (CAMO) – 29.09
  7. Brodie Khajuria (AJAX) – 29.24
  8. Alexandre Landry (SLSC) – 29.42
  9. Kiet Kong (MAC) – 29.43
  10. Noah Terejko (BRANT) – 29.82

Right after winning the 100 fly (52.47), Finlay Knox returned to the pool with a successful double in the 50 breast (28.23). He touched just .14 seconds ahead of Apollo Hess (28.37) for the victory, knocking a couple tenths off his previous-best 28.48 from January’s Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville. Hess has been as fast as 27.76 back in 2022.

Jordan Willis, Florida commit (’25), snagged 3rd place with a personal-best 28.80. It was his first time under 29 seconds, improving upon his previous-best 29.38 from last summer. Blake Tierney (28.91) beat Camren Courchene-Carter (28.92) by the slimmest of margins for 4th place, slicing more than half a second off his lifetime best from last summer (29.44).

Lucas Morin snuck under his best time from January (29.10) with his 6th-place effort in 29.09.

Paralympic swimmer Nicholas Bennett won the B-final in 29.76, which appears to crush his previous SB14 Canadian record of 33.63 from 2018.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 2:05.42, Kylie Masse (2021)
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 2:10.39
  1. Delia Lloyd (ESWIM) – 2:11.95
  2. Madison Kryger (BROCK) – 2:11.96
  3. Leah Tigert (TSC) – 2:15.17
  4. Katelyn Schroeder (LOSC) – 2:18.18
  5. Halayna Montrichard (BRANT) – 2:18.90
  6. Helen Anne Sava (RAMAC) – 2:19.55
  7. Jessica Sheng (MAC) – 2:19.96
  8. Olive Rogers (ESWIM) – 2:20.11
  9. Sophie Kissuk (ESWIM) – 2:22.51
  10. Abbey Cronin (MACC) – 2:26.91

Delia Lloyd, an Ohio State commit (’24), narrowly escaped with a women’s 200 back win in 2:11.95, just a hundredth ahead of Madison Kryger (2:11.96). The pair was more than three seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Lloyd touched just a couple tenths shy of her personal-best 2:11.74 from January. Kryger, meanwhile, dropped almost three seconds off her previous-best 2:13.85 from August with her runner-up finish.

Leah Tigert (2:15.17) beat Katelyn Schroeder (2:18.18) by three seconds for 3rd place, dropping more than four seconds along the way. Tigert, a class of 2026 high school recruit, had a previous best of 2:19.25 from just last month.

MEN’S 200 BACK — FINAL

  • Canadian Record: 1:56.96, Markus Thormeyer (2019)
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:57.50
  1. Ethan Ekk (ATAC) – 1:59.22
  2. Tristan Jankovics (RCAQ) – 1:59.91
  3. Blake Tierney (GOLD) – 2:03.43
  4. Benjamin Loewen (CREST) – 2:04.95
  5. Loic Courville Fortin (CAMO) – 2:05.19
  6. Parker Deshayes (CASC) – 2:05.97
  7. Cole Pratt (CASC) – 2:06.15
  8. Kaedin Duong (ESWIM) – 2:06.93
  9. Carter Buck (TSC) – 2:07.06
  10. Francis Brennan (BBST) – 2:07.30

Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club 16-year-old Ethan Ekk went under two minutes for the first time during his 200 back victory in 1:59.22. He sliced more than a second off his previous-best 2:00.84 from last summer.

Ohio State sophomore Tristan Jankovics was close behind in 1:59.91, within a second of his personal-best 1:59.11 from last August.

Blake Tierney returned to the pool with a 3rd-place finish in 2:03.43 after placing 4th in the 50 breast (28.91) earlier in the session. Benjamin Loewen (2:04.95) held off Loic Courville Fortin (2:05.19) by just a couple tenths for 4th place.

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Troyy
16 days ago

No prelims recap for day 4?

BLUEWolverineBLUE
17 days ago

WOW, what a pleasant surprise to me seeing that 400 free. Such a good race from start to finish. I can tell that Lorne’s week is catching up to him, very unlike him to fade out like that, so it is evident that he has more in the tank. Axon, a bit fresher, however 3:49 is a very good time a month out. Just curious, does he always act zesty like that or is it just an act for social media. Anyways, should be a good time at Trials in May! GO BLUE!!!

Last edited 17 days ago by BLUEWolverineBLUE
Sub13
17 days ago

Maggie is faster right now than she was at this same time in 2021. She didn’t break 57 til the end of May. And we know the end result.

I think people laughing at her downfall are a bit premature.

RealCrocker5040
Reply to  Sub13
17 days ago

Maggie along with Destin Lasco are the perfect examples of “only fast when it matters”

Lotus
17 days ago

Zhang yufei You are dust

Fix Canada's Breaststroke
17 days ago

I guess who could potentially put Knox on any leg of the relay.

Ontario swimming fan
17 days ago

Alexandra Leno also lowers the Ontario Provincial record and moves to 3rd All-time 13 y/o in the 50 breast tonight

RealCrocker5040
17 days ago

McIntosh beating MacNeil……

wow.

I keep thinking I’ve seen it all from summer but nope.

Ploki
17 days ago

Why was the wheels on the bus playing 💀💀💀

Ontario swimming fan
Reply to  Ploki
17 days ago

The fastest entered swimmers are allowed to choose a walk-on song. Madison Kryger with a bold choice. 😂

SwimFan
Reply to  Ontario swimming fan
17 days ago

She did this at OJI in December as well, She always swims quite fast when they play so clearly it works for her. Would hate to be the others in that heat though 😂

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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