Laon Kim Becomes Canada’s Fastest 15-Year-Old 400 Freestyler With a 3:56.37 At Canadian Trials

2024 CANADIAN OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC TRIALS

• May 13-19, 2024
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre – Toronto, Ontario
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Laon Kim got off his week at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials off to a fast start on night one of finals. In the junior final of the men’s 400 freestyle, Kim blasted a 3:56.37 for 2nd place behind Ethan Ekk. With that swim, he takes over as the fastest 15-year-old in Canadian history.

The time is also a new personal best for Kim by .42 seconds, bettering the 3:56.79 he swam at the 2023 Canadian Trials for the Fukuoka World Championships. He was 14 when he swam that time and set the Canadian Age Group record for 13-14 boys.

Now in a new age group, Kim was sitting 4th in the Canadian boys aged 15 rankings with the 4:06.59 he swam in-season at the March Provinicial Championships in Calgary.

Canadian Boys Age 15 Top 5 All-Time

(Per SwimCanada)

1. Laon Kim, UCSC — 3:56.37 (2024)
2. Colin Jacobs, NYAC — 4:01.05 (2024)
3. Owen Ekk, Unattached — 4:02.10 (2024)
4. Simon Fonseca, CAM — 4:04.27 (2023)
5. Alexandre Lepine, NN — 4:08.78 (2023)

Colin Jacobs set the standard earlier this season at the San Antonio Pro Series, swimming 4:01.05. After yesterday, Jacobs ranks third. While Kim brought the record well under 4:00 for the first time, Simon Fonseca, who just turned 16, also swam a personal best for eighth in the junior final. Fonseca nearly joined Kim under the 4 minute mark; he swam 4:00.09, dropping 2.16 seconds from his previous personal best set in March 2024.

The top three swims for this age ranking were swum this year, as Owen Ekk rounds out the top four in 4:02.10. These swims–and the jump from fourth to fifth–points to the emerging depth Canada has in this event. No one qualified for the 2024 team in this event but that may change for the next Olympic cycle.

Lorne Wigginton owns the 15-17 age group record in a 3:49.05, swum at 2023 World Juniors.

Kim 2024 vs. 2023 Personal Best Splits

Kim opened his race yesterday much faster than his 2023 pace. He paid for it on the final 100, splitting 1:00.93–the only 100 split that was slower than his swim at 2023 Trials.

That opening speed–and the lifetime best–is a strong sign for Kim and his goals for later in the week. Kim broke onto the Canadian scene three years ago and has been rewriting Canadian Age Group records since. He’s right in the mix to qualify for the Olympic team in the 200 freestyle where’s he’s seeded sixth after breaking 1:50 for this first time in August 2023.

Kim changed training bases from Hyack Swim Club to the larger University of Calgary Swim Club (UCSC) last summer, will put his versatility on display during the week at Trials. In addition to the 200 and 400 freestyle, he’s also entered in the 50 free (12th seed), 100 free (14th seed), 1500 free (15th seed), and 200 IM (17th seed). He’s also entered in the 100 butterfly.

While it’s still early in the meet, Kim seems to be on form which means that more Canadian records are under threat in his new Age Group.