2021 Canadian Trials: Liendo Hits 51.40 Canadian 100 Fly Record During Prelims

2021 CANADIAN OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

• June 19 – June 23, 2021
• Toronto, Ontario
• Toronto Pan Am Sport Centre
• Long Course Meters (50m)
• Olympic Qualifying Event
• Swimming Canada Olympic Selection Criteria
• Meet Package
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

The first prelims session of the 2021 Canadian Olympic Trials featured the women’s and men’s 100 butterfly as well as the slower heats of the men’s 40o freestyle.

Josh Liendo wasted no time during the session and swam his way to a new Canadian record in the men’s 100 butterfly with a 51.40 to shave 0.43 seconds off Santo Condorelli‘s 51.83 from 2016.

Condorelli, who now swims for Italy internationally, set the record during the semi-finals of the event at the 2016 Olympic Games. Condorelli was out a little bit faster at the time but Liendo managed to come back a little bit quicker and nab the record.

Split Comparison:

The swim for Liendo is his first time under 52 seconds in the event and improves upon his PB of 52.13 from April 2019. His new Canadian record also means that he is now under the FINA A standard of 51.96 that he needs in order to book his ticket to Tokyo. Liendo has raced this event before for Canada at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships where he placed 7th overall in the final with a 52.51 but actually hit a quicker time of 52.34 during the semis.

200 IM Canadian record holder Finlay Knox followed Liendo in the prelims with a 53.16 which is 1.30 seconds off the FINA A while UBC’s Keir Ogilvie was third in the heats with a 53.73.

Men’s 100 Butterfly Prelims – Top 10

2019 World Champion Maggie MacNeil was also present during the first prelims session and swam her way to a 56.70 in top lead the heats. MacNeil holds the Canadian record in the event at a 55.83 from the 2019 World Championships where she won a gold medal for Canada.

MacNeil actually opened this race quicker than she did for her Canadian record-breaking swim with a 26.68, compared to the 26.77 she used in 2019. MacNeil came back a little slower here, though, with a closing split of 30.02 compared to the  29.06 from 2 years ago.

MacNeil’s time got her under the FINA A cut of 57.92 but was a little slower than her current season-best of 56.14 from last month.

Behind, MacNeil, 2016 Olympian Katerine Savard swam 58.13 for second seed which gets her within striking distance of the FINA A. Rebecca Smith followed with a 58.94 which made her the only other sub-59 swimmer in the field.

Women’s 100 Butterfly Prelims – Top 10