2026 Canadian Swimming Trials: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2026 Canadian Swimming Trials

• July 5-9, 2026
• Montreal, Canada — Montreal Olympic Pool
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• Pan Pacific Championships Selection Criteria
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• How To Watch
• Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

The third day of the 2026 Canadian Swimming Trials kicks off on Tuesday with preliminary heats in the men’s and women’s 400 free, 100 fly and 50 breast, along with the multi-class 200 and 400 free events.

Headlining the session is Summer McIntosh, the world record holder and reigning world champion in the women’s 400 free who broke the oldest women’s world record on the opening night of action in the 200 fly.

Taylor Ruck has had a strong start to the meet as well, and she’s the top seed in the women’s 100 fly, while Alexanne Lepage and Sophie Angus lead the way in the 50 breast as the only two women seeded under 31 seconds.

On the men’s side, Ethan Ekk is the top seed by more than three seconds in the 400 free, while in the 100 fly, with Josh Liendo skipping the meet and Ilya Kharun in the process of changing his sporting citizenship, Finlay Knox is the top seed.

In the 50 breast, rising star Oliver Dawson leads the field after breaking the national record earlier this year in a time of 27.29.

Women’s 400 Free – Prelims

• World Record: 3:54.18 – Summer McIntosh, Canada (2025)
• Canadian Record: 3:54.18 – Summer McIntosh (2025)
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 4:10.23

‘A’ Final:

1. Summer McIntosh (UNCAN), 4:11.45
2. Ella Cosgrove (UNCAN), 4:12.56
3. Ella Jansen (ESWIM), 4:12.64
4. Summer Cardwell (PCSC), 4:13.34
5. Madison Kryger (BROCK/HPCON), 4:13.76
6. Julie Brousseau (NKB), 4:13.80
7. Sienna Angove (KCS), 4:14.33
8. Kathryn Hazle (UNCAN), 4:14.36
9. Katherine Warkentin (UNCAN), 4:20.15
10. Mia Thomas (TSC), 4:20.38

*Internationals in top 10 but ineligible for ‘A’ final: Sylvia Statkevicius (4:17.23)

Summer McIntosh coasted the top time of the morning in the prelims of the women’s 400 free, doing just enough to edge out Ella Cosgrove in the fourth and final heat.

After breaking the 200 fly world record on Sunday and winning the 400 IM on Monday, McIntosh conserved as much energy as possible in posting a time of 4:11.45, splitting 2:04.15/2:07.30 by the 200.

Cosgrove, 19, was close behind in 4:12.56, the fifth-fastest swim of her career and not too far off her 4:10.89 lifetime best set at last year’s World Juniors where she placed 6th. At the 2025 Canadian Trials, Cosgrove won the junior final in 4:11.42.

Etobicoke’s Ella Jansen won the penultimate heat to qualify 3rd overall in 4:12.64, doing just what she needed to do like McIntosh after a strong runner-up finish last night in the 400 IM. Last year, Jansen was 2nd to McIntosh in the 400 free at the Canadian Trials in a time of 4:07.36, just shy of her 4:07.18 personal best.

Men’s 400 Free – Prelims

• World Record: 3:39.96, Lukas Martens (GER) – 2025
• Canadian Record: 3:43.46, Ryan Cochrane – 2014
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 3:48.15

‘A’ Final:

1. Ethan Ekk (UNCAN), 3:53.16
2. Francis Brennan (BBST), 3:54.86
3. Simon Fonseca (CAMO/HPCON), 3:55.12
4. Lorne Wigginton (ESWIM), 3:55.21
5. Jordi Vilchez (BTSC), 3:55.93
6. Aiden Kirk (KAJ/HPCVN), 3:56.95
7. Jaques Harrison (CREST/HPCVN), 3:57.08
8. Zachary Parise (PCSC/HPCVN), 3:57.17
9. Oliver Blanchard (PCSC), 3:58.23
10. Cole Jawaja (UNCAN), 3:58.61

*Internationals in top 10 but ineligible for ‘A’ final: Adanuriel Rosal Brito (3:57.98)

Defending champion Ethan Ekk booked Lane 4 for tonight’s final of the men’s 400 free after posting the top time of the morning in 3:53.16, going out quick through the 200 (1:51.95) before really shutting things down over the last 150.

A rising sophomore at Stanford, Ekk won the 2025 Trials title in a time of 3:49.57, and then dropped a massive best time of 3:46.01 at the World Championships, narrowly missing the final in 9th place.

Belleville’s Francis Brennan had an impressive swim from Ekk’s heat, negative-splitting his way to a time of 3:54.86 to set a new personal best and advance 2nd into the final.

Brennan, whose old best stood at 3:58.13, split 1:57.51/1:57.36 en route to his big PB, which comes a few months after wrapping up his freshman year at SMU.

Simon Fonseca (3:55.12) and Lorne Wigginton (3:55.21) made it so that the top four qualifiers for the final all came out of Heat 4, with Wigginton notably coming off the high of breaking the longstanding national record in last night’s 400 IM.

Barrie Trojans’ Jordi Vilchez, the runner-up to Ekk at the 2025 Trials, won the penultimate heat in 3:55.93 to comfortably advance in 5th place.

Women’s 100 Fly – Prelims

• World Record: 54.33, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2026
• Canadian Record: 55.59, Maggie MacNeil – 2021
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 58.33

‘A’ Final:

1. Taylor Ruck (HPCVN), 57.98
2. Leilani Fack (OS), 58.97
3. Matea Gigovic (KSC), 59.72
4. Brooklyn Douthwright (CNBO), 1:00.28
5. Clare Watson (UNCAN), 1:00.33
6. Reina Liu (UNCAN), 1:01.57
7. Emma Croston (OS), 1:01.90
8. Jordyn Richardson (OYO), 1:01.91
9. Taryn Weatherhead (KISU), 1:02.02
10. Rowyn Biffart (AMAC), 1:02.03

Taylor Ruck continues to show good form here in Montreal as the 26-year-old nearly reset her lifetime best in the 100 fly to claim the top seed for tonight’s final.

Ruck won the 100 back in a personal best time on Day 1 and then followed up by topping the 100 free field last night with her fastest swim in seven years, and the momentum has carried forward into Day 3.

Now training at HPC – Vancouver, Ruck split 26.91/31.07 to clock 57.98, just shy of her personal best of 57.71 set in April, to sit 99 one-hundredths clear of the next-fastest competitor.

That was Olympians Swimming’s Leilani Fack, who set a lifetime best of 58.97 just a day after setting a PB of 54.95 in the heats of the 100 free (before placing 5th in the final in 55.03).

Fack, 20, lowered her best time for the first time in two years last month in Indianapolis, clocking 59.20, and now breaks through the 59-second barrier with a realistic chance to fight for the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut (58.33) tonight.

Killarney Swim Club’s Matea Gigovic was the third woman under the 1:00 barrier, putting up a time of 59.72. The 18-year-old won the junior final at the 2025 Trials in 59.34, which remains her personal best.

With Mary-Sophie Harvey scratching and Ella Jansen focusing on the 400 free, Brooklyn Douthwright is the top returner from last year’s final, where she placed 3rd in 59.40. This morning, Douthwright clocked 1:00.28 to advance 4th into the final.

Notably, Ruck (26), Douthwright (23) and Fack (20) will be the only three finalists over the age of 20.

Men’s 100 Fly – Prelims

• World Record: 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 2021
• Canadian Record: 49.99, Josh Liendo – 2024
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 51.77

‘A’ Final:

1. Finlay Knox (MAVS/HPCVN), 52.75
2. Raben Dommann (UBCT/HPCVN), 52.99
3. Kai Lilienthal (UBCT), 53.13
4. Wells Ginzer (UBCT), 53.28
5. Eric Ginzburg (RAMAC), 53.33
6. Kent Goni Avila (RAMAC), 53.34
7. Filip Senc-Samardzic (TSC), 53.71
8. Laon Kim (UCSC), 53.75
9. Nicholas Duncan (UCSC), 53.95
10. Anton Semenyuk (NG/HPCON), 54.28

Five of the 10 ‘A’ finalists in the men’s 100 fly set new personal best times, but it was Finlay Knox leading the way despite adding more than a second to his PB.

Knox, who didn’t even swim this event at the 2025 Trials, put up a time of 52.75 (24.94/27.81) to lead the field into tonight, while his HPC – Vancouver training mate Raben Dommann joined him under 53 seconds from the same heat.

Knox owns a lifetime best of 51.42, set in 2024, and was also sub-52 back in 2022 (51.86). He has strayed away from this event in recent years due to the domestic dominance of Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun, but with Liendo not in attendance and Kharun no longer representing Canada, the door has swung open.

Dommann, who like Knox, is 25, set a personal best time of 52.99, an incredible turnaround after suffering a stroke in early 2025. His previous best of 53.22 was set in 2024. Dommann was also 2nd in the 100 back on the opening day, putting him in contention for a berth on the Pan Pac team.

Kai Lilienthal (53.13) and Wells Ginzer (53.28), both Dommann’s UBC teammates this past season, set new personal bests to qualify 3rd and 4th overall, while RAMAC teammates Eric Ginzburg (53.33) and Kent Goni Avila (53.34) moved through in 5th and 6th, with Avila hitting a new PB.

Women’s 50 Breast – Prelims

• World Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2023
• Canadian Record: 30.23, Amanda Reason – 2009
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 30.75

‘A’ Final:

1. Sophie Angus (HPCON), 30.28
2. Alexanne Lepage (UCSC), 30.94
3. Shona Branton (WES), 31.25
4. Isabelle Angheloni (AJAX/OSA), 32.02
5. Marley Monsen (GPP), 32.24
6. Riley Tofflemire (MMST), 32.27
7. Brooke Peloquin (UMAN), 32.34
8. Maelle Sanborn (UVPCS), 32.35
9. Eloise Allen (UBCT), 32.35
10. Madyson Hartway (UNCAN), 32.38

Sophie Angus had an incredible swim in the heats of the women’s 50 breaststroke, firing off a time of 30.28 to narrowly miss the super-suited national record.

Angus, 27, dropped a massive 58 one-hundredths off her previous best time, the 30.86 she produced at the 2024 World Championships, to seriously challenge Amanda Reason‘s Canadian Record of 30.23, set in 2009, which was also a world record at the time.

Angus has raced a decent amount this year, including the Mare Nostrum Tour in May, but didn’t have any results that really jumped off the page until today, indicating she’s been in heavy training all winter and has finally tapered down. This is her first swim of the meet, with the 200 breast scheduled for Wednesday and the 100 breast on Thursday.

Previously ranked 7th, Angus moves up into #2 all-time among Canadians.

All-Time Canadian Performers, Women’s 50 Breaststroke (LCM)

1. Amanda Reason, 30.23 – 2009 Canadian World Championship Trials
2. Sophie Angus, 30.28 – 2026 Canadian Swimming Trials
3. Annamay Pierse, 30.47 – 2009 Canadian World Championship Trials
4. Rachel Nicol, 30.49 – 2017 World Championships
5. Tara van Beilen, 30.74 – 2014 Commonwealth Games

Alexanne Lepage, who broke the Canadian Record in the SCM 50 and 100 breast in March, put up a time of 30.94 to advance 2nd into the final, just shy of her 30.82 personal best set at the 2023 World Junior Championships.

Shona Branton, who ranks 6th all-time among Canadians with her best time of 30.75, qualified 3rd overall in 31.25.

At the 2025 Trials, Lepage (30.92) edged out Angus (30.97) for the win, while Branton (31.16) took 3rd.

Men’s 50 Breast – Prelims

• World Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2017
• Canadian Record: 27.29, Oliver Dawson – 2026
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 27.33

‘A’ Final:

1. Oliver Dawson (GPP), 27.42
2. Javier Acevedo (HPCON), 27.74
3. Apollo Hess (HPCON), 27.88
4. Brayden Taivassalo (NEW), 27.96
5. Noah Terejko (BAC), 28.37
6. Sebastian van de Logt (UBCT), 28.37
7. Lucas Morin (DDO), 28.44
8. Marcus Mak (ISC), 28.52
9. Justice Migneault (UBCT), 28.61
10. Alexandre Laundry (SLSC), 28.74

Internationals in top 10 but ineligible for ‘A’ final: Logan Ottke (28.25)

After Oliver Dawson was the only man under 28 seconds last year at the Canadian Trials, four went under the barrier in this morning’s prelims, with the newly-minted national record holder leading the way.

Dawson, 18, broke the super-suited Canadian Record in May, clocking 27.29 at the AP Race International to lower Scott Dickens‘ mark of 27.45 from 2009.

On Tuesday, Dickens went under that record again, putting up a time of 27.42 to lead the field into tonight’s final.

Javier Acevedo, fresh off winning the 50 back last night, set a lifetime best of 27.74 to qualify 2nd overall and move into #7 all-time among Canadian men in the event.

Acevedo’s previous best stood at 28.55, set in March. The 28-year-old took a decade-long break (2015-2025) from racing the event in long course, as more of a sprint backstroker and freestyle who has also been competitive in the 200 IM.

Acevedo’s HPC – Ontario teammate Apollo Hess logged a time of 27.88 to advance in 3rd, marking his first time back under 28 seconds since 2022.

Newmarket’s Brayden Taivassalo was the fourth man sub-28, clocking 27.96 after hitting a best time of 27.86 at the Sun Devil Open in May.

Para Highlights

Aurelie Rivard (S10) led the women’s multi-class 400 free field into the final after posting a season-best time of 4:46.03, good for 954 para points. The 30-year-old won the 100 free last night in a time of 1:01.37 (979 para points).

CAMO’s Maxwell Reid (S8), who like Rivard, had a win in the 100 free on Monday, led the men’s multi-class 400 free in 4:33.08, scoring 980 para points.

In the 200 free, which included the S5 and S14 athletes for women and S2-5 and S14 for men, Emma Van Dyk (S14/2:30.55/782 points) and Nicholas Bennett (S14/1:57.82/963 points) were the top qualifiers.