Swimming Canada announced its roster for the 2023 Pan American Games, the swimming portion of which will take place in Santiago, Chile from October 21 – 25, 2023. Canada will send 18 men and 18 women to represent them in the swimming portion of the Games.
Several of Swimming Canada’s key swimmers will be racing in Chile next fall including Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil, as well as Olympians Sydney Pickrem, Javier Acevedo, Finlay Knox, and Katerine Savard. All of those swimmers were also selected for the 2023 World Championships team this year, meaning that they will be pulling double duty for Canada in 2023.
Mac Neil spoke about being selected to race in Chile this summer:
“I’m really excited to be able to represent Canada at my first Pan Am Games,” said Mac Neil. “I remember when Toronto hosted it in 2015 it was such a big deal. I’m really excited to be going to Chile because they’re going to host such an amazing Games.
“The Pan American Games are such important stepping stones with the Olympic Games usually happening the following year. It will be great for our team to get that village experience and practice in a major Games environment. Things may go wrong or not go according to plan in that environment and that’s just practicing for the big show the next year.”
A few swimmers who didn’t quite make the cut for the World Championships squad will get the chance to race at Pan Ams such as Rebecca Smith, Stephen Calkins, Danielle Hanus, and Gabe Mastromatteo.
At the 2019 Pan American Games, Canada collected a total of 15 medals in the swimming competition and will return two of its individual medalists in Mary-Sophie Harvey and Danielle Hanus. In 2019 Harvey took silver in the 200 butterfly and bronze in the 400 IM while Hanus got silver in both the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke. Javier Acevedo and James Dergousoff were the only men who swam for Canada at Pan Ams in 2019 and will both be on the team again this year.
The swimming contingent for Santiago is the first Canadian roster that has been announced for any sport. Team Canada’s Chef de Mission Christine Girard shared her excitement about the team:
“I am thrilled to welcome the first athletes selected to Team Canada: the swimmers,” said Girard, “With a mix of veterans and youth, the experience and energy that they bring to Team Canada will be invaluable. I can’t wait to witness the moments of magic that they are sure to put on display in the pool in Santiago!”
2023 Pan American Games Canadian Swimming Roster
- Javier Acevedo (Toronto, Ont.)
- Sophie Angus (Weston, Connecticut)
- Alex Axon (Newmarket, Ont.)
- Jeremy Bagshaw (Victoria, B.C)
- Timothe Barbeau (Montreal, Que.)
- Katrina Bellio (Mississauga, Ont.)
- Stephen Calkins (Calgary, Alta.)
- Benjamin Cote (Pinellas Park, Florida)
- James Dergousoff (Christina Lake, B.C)
- Raben Dommann (North Vancouver, B.C)
- Brooklyn Douthwright (Riverview, N.B)
- Emma Finlin (Edmonton, Alta.)
- Katie Forrester (Oakville, Ont.)
- Édouard Fullum-Huot (Montreal, Que.)
- Collyn Gagne (Milton, Ont.)
- Maddy Gatrall (Windsor, Ont.)
- Danielle Hanus (Newmarket, Ont.)
- Mary-Sophie Harvey (Trois-Rivières, Que.)
- Finlay Knox (Okotoks, Alta.)
- Margaret (Maggie) Mac Neil (London, Ont.)
- Gabriel Mastromatteo (Kenora, Ont.)
- Hugh McNeill (Langley, B.C)
- Ben Miller (Tigard, Oregon)
- Rachel Nicol (Lethbridge, Alta.)
- Emma O’Croinin (Edmonton, Alta.)
- Keir Ogilvie (Victoria, B.C)
- Laila Oravsky (Minesing, Ont.)
- Sydney Pickrem (Halifax, N.S)
- Katerine Savard (Pont-Rouge, Que.)
- Rebecca Smith (Red Deer, Alta.)
- Brayden Taivassalo (Newmarket, Ont.)
- Blake Tierney (Saskatoon, Sask.)
- Ella Varga (Denver, Colorado)
- Kelsey Wog (Winnipeg, Man.)
- Yu Tong Wu (Surrey, B.C)
- Mabel Zavaros (Burlington, Ont.)
Team Staff:
- John Atkinson (Ottawa, Ont.) – Team Leader
- Iain McDonald (Montreal, Que.) – Assistant Team Leader
- Janice Hanan (Victoria, B.C) – Team Manager
- Scott Talbot – Head Coach
- Rob Novak – Team Coach
- Sierra Moores – Team Coach
- Vlastimil Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) – Team Coach
- Liam Donnelly (Campbellville, Ont.) – Team Coach
- Mike Blondal (Calgary, Alta.) – Team Coach
- Johnny Fuller (Toronto, Ont.) – Athletic Therapist
- Rick Pelletier (Calgary, Alta.) – Massage Therapist
- Dr. Sara Forsyth (Vancouver, B.C) – Physician
- Tom Vandenbogaerde (Vancouver, B.C) – Performance Scientist
- Graham Olson (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Race Analysis
I’ll reply here, cause there’s not really a thread that fits the topic, but TYR Pro Swim Series psych sheets are out. Marchand, Smith, Ledecky, Andrew, Murphy, Fink, Gorbenko are some of the names competing. I can’t see to find any Canadians on the entry list though, I would think they would want to get in a practice meet before Worlds.
Give them a break. They just came off trials. Many of them taking a few days off. There’s plenty of meets in May and June that can work as practice meets before worlds
Why is Summer McIntosh not on the roster for PanAms?
She would have declined. I’d imagine it doesn’t fig with her timing
Neither Josh Liendo
Neither Josh Liendo
Summer McIntosh will be the brightest star in Fukuoka. ✨🌟💫
Earlier this year, Maggie was picked as an ambassador alongside 5 other athletes to promote the PanAm Games.
Hopefully we will see her at the FINA World Cup (LCM) in Berlin and Athens, 2 weeks before the start of the PanAm Games.