The 4th day of the 2012 Canadian Olympic Trials were a bit of a relaxed night, with only three finals. However, those three finals produced 6 big Olympic berths.
Women’s 200 IM
This 200 IM was a great race between two very evenly-matched competitors – and it went down almost exactly to expectation. Neither is a great butterflier, and they went out in nearly-identical splits as expected. But Wilkinson, knowing that her breaststroke was slow in the morning session, attacked the backstroke with a vengeance to open a full-second gap between her and Morningstar.
But Morningstar slipped that script on the breaststroke, and a very fast 38.13 split put her into the lead by a full second. But Wilkinson’s slower breaststroke leg might not be for lack of speed, rather a technical decision. She tore her way back on the freestyle with a good 31.18 anchor (Morningstar’s anchor of 32.67 is a weak-spot for her), and took the win.
Wilkinson’s final time was 2:12.78, to Morningstar’s 2:12.99, which puts both swimmers through to the Olympics. In London, both will want to be much better. Wilkinson will have to improve her breaststroke without losing the anchoring freestyle speed, and Morningstar will have to improve on both of her long-access strokes.
Alexa Komarnycky was 3rd in 2:13.88. That’s the best time of her career, and easily the best swim of her meet after a disappointing 400. That gives her some sliver of hope for still working her way onto the Olympic Team in her next event: the 800 free.
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson was 4th in 2:14.39, which is another best time for the 16-year old and sets a new Canadian 15-17 National Age Group Record – and with an April birthday, she has just over a year to lower the record even further. The old mark was held by Sinead Russell in 2:15.44.
Men’s 100 Free
Brent Hayden took top honors in the 100 free in 48.53. Though he’s unrested, that’s an awesome time for a swimmer who is notoriously bad in-season.
‘’I was definitely trying to go out fast,” Hayden said of his swim that he opened in a 23.0. “That’s what it’s going to take at the Olympics. There’s no room for feeling out the field. It’s just a question right now of racing more.’’
Hayden will be the only individual swimmer in the 100 free for Canada, but the Canadian men (who were 10th at World’s last year) have qualified a 400 free relay. Richard Hortness took 2nd in 49.21, Colin Russell the veteran took 3rd in 49.69. 4th place went to Thomas Gossland in 49.98 – the first time under 50 seconds in his career.
He just outraced Luke Peddie, the young future-star of Canadian sprinting, who was 5th in 50.05. It would have been great to see him get some experience, but he will have another (great) shot at the team in 2016.
Blake Worsley, the 200 champion, took 6th in 50.23.
Women’s 200 Fly
This was a missed opportunity for the Canadian women, as they were capable of getting at least two swimmers under the FINA “A” time, but instead they had none. That means that Audrey Lacroix, the National Record holder, takes the only representation with a 2:09.01.
Katerine Savard went out in blazing pace, but with a 35.89 closing 50 couldn’t hold on for the win (that close was two seconds slower than Lacroix’s was). She was extremely aggressive on this race, expecting that Lacroix would be in the 2:08-range. In hindsight, a more conservative opening, like she usually has, could have paid off for Savard – she’s been a 2:08.6.
MacKenzie Downing was 3rd in 2:10.37, and Noemi Thomas was 4th in 2:13.09.
Full Day 4 Results available here.
