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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.
Pacific Coast Swimming’s Mäelle Sanborn took on a busy schedule at last weekend’s Mel Zajac Jr. International meet last weekend in Vancouver and had a number of impressive performances, highlighted by her showing in the women’s 100 breaststroke.
The 16-year-old, who is based out of Victoria, B.C., put up a time of 1:10.02 in the final, lowering her previous best of 1:10.78 set at last summer’s Canada Games to become the 13th-fastest 16-year-old Canadian in history. She also moves to 16th all-time among 15-16 girls, and 22nd all-time in the girls’ 15-17 age group.
All-Time 16-Year-Old Canadian Performers, Women’s 100 Breaststroke (LCM)
- Faith Knelson (Island Swimming Club), 1:07.30 – 2018
- Tera Van Beilen (Oakville Aquatic Club), 1:08.50 – 2009
- Avery Wiseman (Triton Swimming), 1:08.52 – 2018
- Rachel Nicol (La Swim Club), 1:09.01 – 2009
- Kelsey Wog (University of Manitoba Bisons Swimming), 1:09.28 – 2015
- Ashley McGregor (Pointe-Claire Swim Club), 1:09.71 – 2009
- Marley Monsen (Grande Prairie Piranhas Swim Club), 1:09.72 – 2025
- Mariya Chekanovych (Simon Fraser Aquatics), 1:09.78 – 2011
- Bailey Herbert (Olympians Swimming), 1:09.80 – 2019
- Madyson Hartway (Unattached Canada), 1:09.83 – 2024
- Halle West (Manta Swim Club), 1:09.88 – 2024
- Erin Stamp (Guelph Marlin Aquatic Club), 1:10.01 – 2011
- Maelle Sanborn (Uvic-Pcs Association), 1:10.02 – 2026
- Tianna Rissling (Alberta Marlin Aquatic Club), 1:10.04 – 2009
- Summer McIntosh (Unattached), 1:10.39 – 2023
Sanborn also broke her own 15-17 club record in the 100 breast, having produced her previous mark en route to gold at the 2025 Canada Games.
Split Comparison
| 2025 Canada Games | 2026 Mel Zajac |
| 33.46 | 32.98 |
| 1:10.78 (37.32) | 1:10.02 (37.04) |
She also set a best time in the 50 breast at the Mel Zajac meet, breaking the Pacific Coast Swimming 15-17 and open club records in a time of 32.29. Like the 100 breast, her previous PB of 32.45 was set in winning gold at the Canada Games last summer.
Despite being one of the youngest swimmers qualifying for ‘A’ finals at the meet, Sanborn was the runner-up in both the 50 and 100 breast, with Ajax Aquatic Club’s Isabelle Angheloni winning the 50 and UBC’s Eloise Allen topping the 100.
Sanborn also cracked the podium in the 200 breast, taking 3rd in 2:33.02 to narrowly miss her PB of 2:32.45, and she added best times in the 200 IM (2:19.88) and 400 IM (5:04.55).
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