2019 Canadian Swimming Trials: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2019 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

• April 3-7, 2019
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, Toronto, ON
• LCM (50m)
• Prelims/Finals: 9:30 am / 6:00 pm ET
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream (Rectectv)
• Live Stream (CBC Sports)
• Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet

Night two of the 2019 Canadian Swimming Trials will feature finals in the men’s and women’s 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 400 IM, and 50 back, along with the 100 free and 50 back for the para swimmers.

Among the highlights will be the women’s 100 freestyle, where reigning Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak will be looking to earn a spot on the Worlds team. She’ll face off against Taylor Ruck, who qualified last night in the 100 back and appears to be on good form after going a lifetime best in that event by over four-tenths. Kayla Sanchez and Rebecca Smith are the other two expected to get in the top-4 and claim a relay spot.

In the men’s event, Yuri Kisil leads the pack after a quick 48.95 in the morning, and his biggest challenge will come from Markus Thormeyer who booked his ticket to Gwangju last night in the 100 back.

Also in that 100 free battle will be Javier Acevedo, who was absent yesterday in his primary event, the 100 back, due to a school scheduling conflict. While Kisil and Thormeyer are the favorites to take the top two spots, he has an outside shot having split as fast as 48.43 at the 2017 World Championships in the 400 free relay. In addition to the 100 free, he’ll also race the 50 back tonight.

Another storyline coming into tonight is Kierra Smith, who was disqualified last night after touching first in the women’s 200 breast. She’s on good form, initially going a world best 2:21.75 before the DQ, so should be able to earn a spot tonight if she puts it all together in tonight’s 100 breast final. This morning she was under the ‘A’ cut of 1:07.43 in 1:07.14, leading the field by over a second.

Sydney Pickrem, who was bumped to gold after the Smith DQ in the 200 breast, comes into the women’s 400 IM seeded second behind Emily Overholt. Overholt won the bronze medal in this event at the 2015 Worlds, and Pickrem did the same in 2017, so it will be a very competitive race. This morning Tess Cieplucha (4:42.68) was also under the ‘A’ standard of 4:43.06, with Overholt (4:41.04) and Pickrem (4:41.50) slightly in front.

In the men’s 400 IM, #3 seed Cole Pratt has scratched. Tristan Cote (4:21.41) and Josh Zakala (4:22.14) are the top two seeds coming in.

Women’s 100 Free – Para

1. Aurelie Rivard (S10), UL, 59.88 (965 pts)
2. Katarina Roxon (S9), AASC, 1:08.61 (700 pts)
3. Shelby Newkirk (S7), LASER, 1:16.65 (699 pts)

Three-time Paralympic champion Aurelie Rivard won the para women’s 100 free in a time of 59.88, over a second faster than this morning and not far off her PB of 59.17 from 2015.

Men’s 100 Free – Para

1. Alexander Elliot (S10), UL, 54.66 (806 pts)
2. Matthew Cabraja (S11), COBRA, 1:03.64 (687 pts)
3. Caleb Arndt (S13), WRMS, 1:02.55 (537 pts)

Alexander Elliot won the men’s para 100 free in a time of 54.66, scoring 806 para points.

Women’s 100 Free Final

• Canadian Record: 52.70, Penny Oleksiak, 2016
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 54.49

1. Taylor Ruck, SCAR, 53.26
2. Penny Oleksiak, TSC, 53.60
3. Kayla Sanchez, AAC, 54.22
4. Maggie MacNeil, LAC, 54.51

Taylor Ruck was the quickest swimmer going out and coming home as she wins the women’s 100 free in 53.26, adding a second individual event to her Worlds schedule. Penny Oleksiak earns an individual spot with her showing of 53.60, and Kayla Sanchez (54.22) and Maggie MacNeil (54.51) get themselves on the team in the relay.

This will be MacNeil’s first major international team after she declined her nomination to Pan Pacs last summer in order to swim at the Junior Pan Pacs. This was also her first time breaking 55 seconds.

For Oleksiak, this is her fastest swim since the 2017 World Championships.

Rebecca Smith ended up on the outside looking in, placing fifth in a time of 54.82.

Men’s 100 Free Final

• Canadian Record: 47.27, Brent Hayden, 2009
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 48.80

1. Markus Thormeyer, UBCSC, 48.76
2. Yuri Kisil, WD, 49.11
3. Will Pisani, UNCAN, 49.43
4. Carson Olafson, UBCSC, 49.53

Markus Thormeyer adds a second individual event to his World Championship with a win in the men’s 100 freestyle, clocking a time of 48.76 to slip under the ‘A’ cut of 48.80. Thormeyer was just off his PB of 48.71 set in February at the U SPORTS Championships.

Yuri Kisil took 2nd in 49.11, and Will Pisani (49.43) and Carson Olafson (49.53) will also qualify for the team in the 400 free relay.

The final was incredibly close, with Joshua Liendo (49.71), Ruslan Gaziev (49.87), and Javier Acevedo (49.97) also breaking 50 seconds. Liendo’s swim breaks the 15-17 NAG previously held by Hassaan Abdel-Khalik at 49.76 from 2009.

Women’s 100 Breast Final

• Canadian Record: 1:05.74, Annamay Pierse, 2009
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:07.43

1. Kierra Smith, SCAR, 1:06.54
2. Kelsey Wog, UMAN, 1:07.54
3. Rachel Nicol, UCSC, 1:07.94

Kierra Smith bounced back in a big way tonight in the women’s 100 breast, winning by a full second in a time of 1:06.54. That qualifies her for the World Championship team after being disqualified in last night’s 200, and is also a new personal best lowering her 1:06.62 from the 2017 World Championships.

Faith Knelson had the early speed in the final, leading the pack at the 50 in 31.14, but faded coming home and took 4th. Kelsey Wog had a strong swim to place 2nd in 1:07.54, lowering her best time of 1:07.91 from the Pan Pacs.

Rachel Nicol (1:07.94) also got by Knelson (1:08.00) on the last 50 to take 3rd.

Men’s 100 Breast Final

• Canadian Record: 59.85, Scott Dickens, 2012
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 59.95

1. Richard Funk, TSC, 1:01.18
2. Gabe Mastromatteo, KSS, 1:01.24
3. Eli Wall, TSC, 1:02.04

Richard Funk held off a hard-charging Gabe Mastromatteo to win the men’s 100 breast final in 1:01.18, with Mastromatteo just .06 back in 1:01.24. Funk was off the ‘A’ cut of 59.95, but will likely still be added to the Worlds team for the medley relay.

Mastromatteo’s swim was a new 15-17 NAG, edging past his 1:01.27 from the Junior Pan Pacs.

Eli Wall (1:02.04) closed on Alexander Milanovich (1:02.23) to take 3rd.

Women’s 400 IM Final

• Canadian Record: 4:32.52, Emily Overholt, 2015
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 4:43.06

1. Sydney Pickrem, UNCAN, 4:35.15
2. Emily Overholt, UBCSC, 4:37.88
3. Tess Cieplucha, OAK, 4:38.96

A strong breaststroke leg led Sydney Pickrem to the win in the women’s 400 IM, putting up a time of 4:35.15 to rank her third in the world for the season and add a second event to her World Championship lineup.

Emily Overholt had a strong swim to take the runner-up spot in 4:37.88, her fastest swim since the Rio Olympics. She’ll join Pickrem in this event in Gwangju, and the two will be looking to reach the podium together after Overholt did in 2015 and Pickrem did so in 2017.

Tess Cieplucha of Oakville kept Overholt honest coming down the stretch, as she smashed her best time (set this morning) of 4:42.32 in 4:38.96. Coming into today her old best stood at 4:44.97.

In fourth, Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson was also under the ‘A’ standard of 4:43.06 in 4:41.70.

Katrina Bellio (4:46.69) and Summer McIntosh (4:50.21), both of Etobicoke, set new National Age Group Records in the girls 13-14 and 11-12 age groups respectively.

Men’s 400 IM Final

• Canadian Record: 4:11.41, Brian Johns, 2008
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 4:17.90

1. Tristan Cote, UCSC, 4:17.85
2. Montana Champagne, GO, 4:21.40
3. Collyn Gagne, OAK, 4:21.49

Separating himself from the field on the breaststroke leg, it was a race against the clock for Tristan Cote as he battled to get under the FINA ‘A’ standard of 4:17.90 and make the Worlds team. It was close, but a final 50 of 29.64 edged him under the time in 4:17.85, his second fastest swim ever. He went a best at the 2017 World Trials in 4:17.40.

In a tight race for silver, Montana Champagne put up a PB of 4:21.40 to get his hand on the wall ahead of Collyn Gagne (4:21.49) and Josh Zakala (4:21.74). Gagne dropped over four seconds off his best time this morning (4:28.18 to 4:23.75), and then took off over two more tonight to get himself on the podium.

Women’s 50 Back Final

• Canadian Record: 27.64, Kylie Masse, 2017
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 28.22

1. Danielle Hanus, ISC, 28.03
2. Jade Hannah, ISC, 28.20
3. Emma Ball, GMAC, 28.32

A personal best time from Danielle Hanus earns her the victory in the women’s 50 back, touching in a time of 28.03 to surpass her 28.26 from the 2015 World Juniors.

Her Island Swimming teammate Jade Hannah was second in 28.20, and Emma Ball, who’s coming off of swimming at NCAAs less than a few weeks ago, swam her second best of the day for third in 28.32.

Men’s 50 Back Final

• Canadian Record: 25.13, Russell Wood (2015) / Javier Acevedo (2017)
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 25.17

1. Javier Acevedo, UNVAR, 25.69
2. Tim Zeng, CHENA, 25.89
3. Sebastian Somerset, CASC, 25.96

Javier Acevedo won a close men’s 50 back final in 25.69, followed closely by Tim Zeng (25.89) and Sebastian Somerset (25.96). This was Somerset’s first time cracking 26.

Women’s 50 Back – Para

1. Aly Van Wyck-Smart (S2), VVAC, 1:21.25 (390 pts)
2. Clemence Pare (S5), MUST, 1:00.03 (268 pts)
3. Nikita Ens (S3), LASER, 1:21.15 (213 pts)

Men’s 50 Back – Para

1. Jonathan Dieleman (S5), BVOSC, 58.86 (209 pts)
2. Jacob Brayshaw (S2), KISU, 1:59.72 (61 pts)