arena Swim of the Week: Anton Semenyuk Lowers Own 200 Fly Canadian NAG Record For Trials Title

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Disclaimer: Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The Swim of the Week is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.

After an incredible run of form throughout the first half of 2026, Anton Semenyuk carried his early-season momentum perfectly into the Canadian Swimming Trials that wrapped up on Thursday.

The 17-year-old Natation Gatineau product finished the 2025 long course season with a personal best time of 1:59.48 in the 200 fly, set en route to a 5th-place finish at the World Junior Championships, and then over the early stages of the 2026 long course campaign, he had gone faster an incredible five times.

That included set a new Canadian National Age Group Record for 15-17 boys in March at the Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont, clocking 1:58.40 to break Kevin Zhang‘s previous mark of 1:58.97 set in 2023.

Then, at the Canadian Trials this past week in Montreal, Semenyuk opened the competition with a bang, winning the final of the men’s 200 fly in a time of 1:57.84 to re-lower his NAG record and become the first 17 and under Canadian under the 1:58 barrier. He’ll notably turn 18 on July 15, meaning this was his last chance to reset the NAG record.

Semenyuk also went 1:58.92 in the prelims, meaning he’s produced the fastest seven swims of his career in the 200 fly this year.

Compared to his record swim in March, Semenyuk gained most of his advantage in Montreal over the middle 100, splitting 59.67 compared to a 1:00.63 middle half in Westmont.

Split Comparison

Semenyuk has only come home under 31 in the 200 fly once, splitting 30.97 on the last 50 during the prelims at the Edinburgh International meet in March, and shoring up that last length will be the next step for him as he prepares to break onto the senior international stage this summer.

Previously ranked 12th, Semenyuk moves into #8 all-time in Canada in the 200 fly.

All-Time Canadian Performers, Men’s 200 Butterfly (LCM)

1. Ilya Kharun, 1:52.80 – 2024
2. Mack Darragh, 1:56.27 – 2018
3. Benjamin Loewen, 1:56.71 – 2025
4. Zack Chetrat, 1:56.90 – 2015
5. Stefan Hirniak, 1:57.01 – 2010
6. Patrick Hussey, 1:57.19 – 2025
7. Adam Sioui, 1:57.45 – 2008
8. Anton Semenyuk, 1:57.84 – 2026
9. Alec Page, 1:58.01 – 2015
10. Raben Dommann, 1:58.02 – 2024

After his victory in the 200 fly on the opening night, Semenyuk went on to set new personal best times en route to a 2nd-place finishes in the junior final of the 100 free (50.38) and 200 IM (2:02.52), and a 3rd-place finish in the junior final of the 100 fly (54.09).

On Thursday night, he was officially named to Canada’s Pan Pac roster, setting him up for his first senior international competition after a successful showing last summer at World Juniors.

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