2025 Canadian Trials: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2025 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

• Saturday, June 7 – Thursday, June 12, 2025
• Victoria, British Columbia
• Victoria Saanich Commonwealth Place
• LCM (50 meters)
• World Championship Selection Criteria
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Storylines To Watch
• Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Day 4 Finals Heat Sheet

Welcome to the 4th finals session of the 2025 Canadian Trials. This session is going to be exciting for a variety of reasons, but none are more significant than Summer McIntosh taking the water.

She has already broken two World Records and rattled a third over the first three days of the meet, but she has one of the biggest mountains in swimming ahead of her. Over the last 16 years, women’s swimming has almost entirely caught up to the supersuit era, breaking every World Record except one… Liu Zige‘s 2:01.81 in the 200 fly from October of 2009. Nobody has ever been within a second of Zige, but McIntosh sits the closest with her 2:03.03 from the Paris Olympics, and she will be swimming it tonight.

McIntosh is not the only star competing tonight. Ilya Kharun highlights the men’s 200 fly as the Olympic bronze medalist, and he will be looking to pick up his 2nd individual event for the World Championships after qualifying in the 100 fly. He already holds the Canadian record in the event, and he is the clear favorite to win tonight. Less than a second separated 2nd-7th in the preliminaries, so it could be a race for a potential 2nd qualifying spot, though the swimmers will also have also have the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut to contend with.

The 100 freestyle events are also star-studded with Paris Olympian Penny Oleksiak hunting her 2nd event win of the meet, she does not need to worry as much about the clock, as she has already earned the qualification standard. She is chased by Taylor Ruck and Sarah Fournier, who will be chasing the qualification time for individual swims. The top four finishers will earn their tickets to Singapore for the 4×100 freestyle relay.

Josh Liendo comes in as the 6th seed in the 100 free, but as the 2024 Trials Champion and the 50 free champion last night, he is still the favorite. Ruslan Gaziev was the top qualifier out of the morning, as the only swimmer under 49 seconds, and he is closely followed by a very tight field of men who will all be hunting a Worlds berth.

The 50 breaststroke will be an interesting event, as none of the swimmers have been under the ‘A’ cut. In the women’s event, we will see top seed Sophie Angus seeking to earn her 2nd event qualification, after earning a 200 breaststroke spot earlier in the meet. The 100 breaststroke champion Alexanne LePage comes in as the 3rd seed, and she also already has a ticket in the 100 breaststroke. Shona Branton came in right in between the two swimmers and is not yet qualified for the meet.

The men’s breaststroke situation is dire, as they have yet to qualify any man in the breaststroke events, and nobody was under the cut this morning. Three men have shared the medals in the 100 and 200, and all three qualified for tonight’s 50 final.

Women’s 200 Butterfly- Final

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
• Canadian Record: 2:03.03 – Summer McIntosh, (2024)
• 2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Summer McIntosh – 2:04.33
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 2:09.21
• Canadian World Juniors Standard: 2:15.07

Podium

• GOLD: Summer McIntosh (UNCAN)- 2:02.26
• SILVER: Ella Jansen (ESWIM)- 2:09.68
• BRONZE: Mabel Zavaros (MAC)- 2:11.14

A new Canadian Record for Summer McIntosh, and the 2nd World Record she knocked on the door of this week. She got out to a commanding lead from the very beginning of the race, splitting 58.58 in the opening 100. This is faster than she had ever been out, exactly half-a-second off Zige’s opening speed of 58.08.

McIntosh did not let that opening speed slow her down, however, as she only extended her lead over the rest of the field, even coming in under record pace at the 150 mark. She came home in 32.17 on her final 50, which did not quite match Zige’s closing speed of 31.61.

Split Comparison

McIntosh ultimately touched in 2:02.26, less than half-a-second away from Zige’s 2:01.81. With this swim, she becomes only the 2nd woman in history to break the 2:03 second mark, and she becomes the fastest swimmer in the world this year by more than three seconds

In her post-race interview, McIntosh said “If there is one World Record I want more than any of the other ones, it’s the 200 fly. I think it’s the hardest one to get in my opinion.”

Ella Jansen came in 2nd overall in 2:09.68, splitting 1:01.24/1:08.44 to touch a second-and-a-half ahead of Mabel Zavaros who finished 3rd in 2:11.14. Jansen came in about four tenths over the qualification time of 2:09.21.

Men’s 200 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2022)
• Canadian Record: 1:52.80 – Ilya Kharun, (2024)
• 2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Ilya Kharun – 1:54.41
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:56.51
• Canadian World Juniors Standard: 2:00.74

Podium

• GOLD: Ilya Kharun (UNCAN)- 1:53.41
• SILVER: Jordi Vilchez (BTSC)- 1:58.51
• BRONZE: Benjamin Loewen (CREST)- 1:58.76

Ilya Kharun defended his National Title in the men’s 200 butterfly, touching in 1:53.41, just missing his Canadian record of 1:52.80 in the event.

Kharun was out fast, but he was not able to maintain that speed, turning ahead of his pace at the 150 mark before coming home in 30.43, touching five seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

His final time of 1:53.41 will rank him 2nd in the World so far this year, only behind Luca Urlando‘s 1:52.37 from April.

Jordi Vilchez and Benjamin Loewen rounded out the podium in 1:58.51 and 1:58.76 respectively. This was a new best time for Vilchez, who came in at 1:59.42 from last May’s Olympic Trials. Loewen has been 1:57.24 which he went last July.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2017)
• Canadian Record: 52.59 – Penny Oleksiak, (2021)
• 2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Penny Oleksiak – 53.66
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 54.25
• Canadian World Juniors Standard: 56.21

Podium

• GOLD: Penelope Oleksiak (TSC)- 54.03
• SILVER: Taylor Ruck (KAJ)- 54.41
• BRONZE: Brooklyn Douthwright (CNBO)- 54.74
• 4th: Ingrid Wilm (CASC)- 55.15

The 2016 co-champion in the women’s 100 freestyle Penny Oleksiak took home the gold in the event this evening, coming in at 54.03 to be the only female swimmer under the AQUA ‘A’ cut in the event.

In her interview, Oleksiak mentioned how her first Canadian team was in Singapore back in 2015, so this is a full circle moment for her.

Taylor Ruck finished 2nd in 54.41, just missing the qualification standard again, but she punched her ticket as a relay swimmer on the women’s 4×100.

Along with Ruck, Brooklyn Douthwright finished 3rd in 54.74 and Ingrid Wilm touched 4th at 55.15. They will round out the women’s relay in Singapore.

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle, CHN (2024)
• Canadian Record: 47.27 – Brent Hayden, (2009)
• 2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Josh Liendo – 47.55
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 48.34
• Canadian World Juniors Standard: 50.49

Podium:

• GOLD: Ruslan Gaziev (UNCAN)- 48.37
• SILVER: Antoine Sauve (CAMO)- 48.42
• BRONZE: Josh Liendo (NYAC)- 48.62
• 4th: Filip Senc-Samardzic (TSC)- 49.13

The final was incredibly close between the top three, with nobody finishing under the ‘A’ cut.

Ruslan Gaziev touched in first overall at 48.37. His time was just five-hundredths ahead of Antoine Sauve‘s 48.42 for 2nd in the lane right next to him.

Josh Liendo added more than a second to swim 48.62 to finish 3rd overall, but he did secure a spot on the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay.

Taking the final relay spot was Filip Senc-Samardzic who came in at 49.13, just over a tenth ahead of 5th place.

Women’s 50 Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2023)
• Canadian Record: 30.23 – Amanda Reason, (2009)
• 2023 Trials Champion: Sophie Angus – 31.13
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 30.75

Podium

• GOLD: Alexanne Lepage (UCSC)- 30.92
• SILVER: Sophie Angus (HPCON)- 30.97
• BRONZE: Shona Branton (WES)- 31.16

Just like in the men’s 100 freestyle, there were no swimmers in this event under the qualification standard.

The 100 breaststroke champion, Alexanne Lepage won the gold by five hundredths touching in 30.92.

Sophie Angus, who won the 200 breaststroke finished in 30.97 to grab the silver. Shona Branton went 31.16 to finish 3rd overall.

Out of the consolation final, Italian swimmer Anita Bottazzo went 30.15.

Men’s 50 Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)
• Canadian Record: 27.45 – Scott Dickens, (2009)
• 2023 Trials Champion: James Dergousoff – 27.76
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 27.33

Podium

• GOLD: Oliver Dawson (GPP)- 27.80
• SILVER: Apollo Hess (HPCON)- 28.28
• BRONZE: Noah Chang (RSWIM)/Stephen Moore (UCSC)- 28.32

Oliver Dawson took home the national title in the men’s 50 breaststroke, finishing in 27.80. While he did win the gold, he did not earn the AQUA ‘A’ cut or the secondary consideration time, meaning that there will be no male Canadian breaststrokers in individual events at the 2025 World Championships.

Silver went to Apollo Hess in 28.28, four hundredths ahead of the tie for 3rd.

Noah Chang and Stephen Moore tied for the final place on the podium in 28.32.

Aleksas Savickas won the ‘B’ final, touching in 27.92, a time that would have been 2nd overall had he been in the ‘A’ final, but he is not Canadian so he is ineligible for the Championship final.