Canada’s Kayla Sanchez Breaks World Junior Record In 50 Free

by Steven Meyers 14

November 06th, 2018 Canada, International, News

Teenage Canadian swimming star Kayla Sanchez broke the short course 50m freestyle world junior record this past weekend at the NYAC Cup.

Representing the High Performance Centre-Ontario and Ajax Aquatic Club, Sanchez went a 23.94 to move past the previous mark of 24.00 held by China’s Menghui Zhu. Although the record was held by Zhu, the fastest ever performance by a junior swimmer since the records have been recognized (2015) was a 23.95 by Rikako Ikee in December of 2017. Despite swimming faster than 24.00, Ikee’s record was never ratified. Regardless, Sanchez’s time makes her the fastest junior swimmer on record by one one-hundredth of a second.

Sanchez only swam in the prelims on Saturday, scratching herself from the finals session. She swam the 50m freestyle first followed by the 100m backstroke (58.25) and the 200m IM (2:08.85).

Her 50 freestyle ranks her fifth in the world this year behind some of the fastest female sprinters in the world.

2018-2019 SCM WOMEN 50 FREE

2Sarah
SJOSTROM
SWE23.2111/15
3Femke
HEEMSKERK
NED23.6710/04
3Pernille
BLUME
DEN23.6711/15
5Anna
HOPKIN
GBR23.7012/15
View Top 26»

Swimming under British sprint coach Ben Titley, Sanchez has managed to breakout onto the international scene. She’s coming off a breakthrough summer where she earned two bronze medals in the freestyle relays at the Pan Pacific Championships and two silvers in the freestyle relays at the Commonwealth Games.

With Sanchez’s record, Canadian junior swimmers now hold three freestyle world junior records. Penny Oleksiak holds the 100m freestyle record and Taylor Ruck holds the 200m freestyler record.

Other Significant Results from the Ontario High Performance Group

  • Olympic breaststroker Kierra Smith didn’t swim any breaststroke, but did go 27.96 in the 50 free and 2:22.60 in the 200 IM.
  • Penny Oleksiak swam in prelims of the 200 fly (2:10.87), 50 free (24.93), and 100 back (1:03.01).
  • Yuri Kisil, the High Performance Center’s newest addition, swam 22.38 in the 50 free, 56.71 in the 100 back, and 2:08.46 in the 200 IM.
  • Mack Darragh swam a 1:58.55 in the 200 fly, 2:01.41 in the 200 IM, and 24.10 in the 50 free.

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Verram
5 years ago

Does anyone know her background? Her name either sounds Mexican or maybe Filipino to me

canswim1331
Reply to  Verram
5 years ago

She’s Canadian

Jim Snow (Sharper Aquatic Image)
5 years ago

Catch the Video of this swim here: http://www.sharperaquaticimage.ca/swimmers/kayla-sanchez—high-perfor.html.. One cannot forget her excellent 58.25 for the 100 back (scm) either! Both are posted here.

Dan
5 years ago

Has Penny been training in Florida or in Canada this fall?

Admin
Reply to  Dan
5 years ago

Canada, with the High Performance Center in Ontario.

canswim1331
5 years ago

Has Canada named their World SC team?

Bo swims
Reply to  canswim1331
5 years ago

Yes… it’s all leftover kids who missed teams in the summer

Wow
5 years ago

WJR in her 3rd or 4th best event! 51 and 153 100/200 frees incoming if this is any indication.

Swamzer
Reply to  Wow
5 years ago

She has, to the best of my knowledge, had a killer 50 for YEARS.

Dee
Reply to  Swamzer
5 years ago

Yep, she has also been under 25s LCM so this isnt surprising at all.

Wow
Reply to  Swamzer
5 years ago

Never said she didn’t have a killer 50. It just isn’t better than her 100/200 Freestyle. There is no arguing that, just look at her times.

Swamzer
Reply to  Wow
5 years ago

Hitchens’ razor.
4th by Fina pts: 50/100/200/100bk – 854/893/895/876 respectively
http://www.swimming.ca/en/swimmer/kayla-sanchez/ edit add
http://www.fina.org/sites/default/files/fina_points_-_lcm_2018_female_.pdf
4th by total age group records
http://www.swimming.ca/en/records/catalogue/CAN.JR/?gender=F&course=SCM&age=15_17&season=0
This is her only individual JWR so far
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_junior_world_records_in_swimming#Girls

Rhetorical question: Would Lochte’s best event be 200bk 400IM or 200IM?
Real question: How exciting are the prospects for Canada’s women’s and mixed relays?!

Tea rex
5 years ago

Why scratch the finals? I hope whatever took priority over a 23.9 free was special

John
Reply to  Tea rex
5 years ago

It’s probably early November and they are just planning to race prelims in preparation for the bigger meets.