2017 Ontario Junior Invitational
- December 15th-17th, 2017
- Toronto Pan Am Sport Centre, Toronto, Ontario
- 25m (Short Course Meters) pool
- Live Meet Results
With the absence of a handful of American prodigies who have come across the border in the past for this meet (Michael Andrew, Andrew Seliskar), as well as without some of Canada’s best junior talent that is overseas racing in England, this year’s OJI championship-style meet was left to a handful of local stars to rule the roost. That includes 18-year old Mary-Sophie Harvey of Club de Natation Neptune, who represented Canada at this summer’s World Championships and will do so again at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Harvey didn’t swim the 200 free at this meet – which is the race in which she represented Canada last summer. In fact, she didn’t swim any freestyle events, focusing on the backstroke sprints, the breaststroke treble, and the 200 IM that could become her big international podium breakthrough in the spring on the Gold Coast, especially as she’s started to show more speed lately (the 400 IM has been her bread-and-butter race historically).
Her results brought with them lifetime bests in 4 of her 6 individual races – all but the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. The most significant of those best times was the 100 breastsstroke, in which she almost dropped 2 seconds. Backstroke and breaststroke have been strengths of hers over the 400 IM distance, but the breaststroke hasn’t stacked up as favorably over 200 meters.
Harvey’s Results, 2017 OJI:
- 1st – 50 breast – 31.07*
- 1st – 200 breast – 2:23.58*
- 1st – 50 back – 26.75*
- 1st – 200 IM – 2:13.07
- 2nd – 100 breast – 1:06.69*
- 2nd – 100 back – 59.52
- relay leadoff – 200 free – 1:58.94
- relay anchor – 100 free – 55.36
- 400 medley relay split – 100 breast – 1:07.59
* – best time
Also racing at this meet from the National team was Penny Oleksiak,who broke the only individual girls’ records of the meet. Oleksiak took wins in the 50 fly, 100 fly, 50 free, and 100 free, and also anchored winning Toronto Swim Club 400 free and 400 medley relays.
In the process, Oleksiak broke a National Age Group Record in the 50 free, swimming 24.47. That improves upon the still-unrecognized 24.48 done by Taylor Ruck in November, which in turn improved the 24.56 done by the recently-retired Chantal van Landeghem in 2012.
Oleksiak swam lifetime bests in 3 of her 4 individual events, including the 50 fly (26.23) and 100 fly (57.25). A table of all of her results from the weekend, including where she broke records, is below.
Oleksiak Results vs. Records, 2017 OJI
| Penny Oleskiak | ||
| 2017 OJI | ||
| New Records | Old Meet Records | |
| 50 free | 24.47 | Rebecca Smith – 24.80 (2016) |
| 100 free | 52.34 | Freya Anderson – 53.13 (2016) |
| 50 fly | 26.23 prelims | Danika Huizinga – 26.47 (2015 & 2016) |
| 100 fly | 57.25 | Rebecca Smith – 57.70 (2016) |
| 100 Fly – Relay | 56.79 | |
| 100 Free – Relay | 53.33 |
The big record-breaker on the boys’ side of the racing was 17-year old Alex Pratt from the Cascade Swim Club. He won and broke records in both the 400 and 1500 meters freestyle.
In the 400, he swam 3:43.73, which broke the 2016 record of Rafael Davila that stood at 3:45.39. Later in the meet, he swam 14:46.21, which took over 3 seconds from Davila’s old record of 14:49.84.
While the Americans largely stayed away, a team from Great Britain made their usual appearance at the meet and performed well, including breaking a handful of Meet Records in relays (including ones that previously belonged to the American NCAP club).
In the 50 fly, Britain’s Lewis Fraser swam a 23.79 to break the Meet Record set last year by Canadian Alexandre Perreault in 24.26. Ruslan Gazilev swam 23.91 for 2nd place, which was also under the old Meet Record.
Other Standout Results from the meet:
- Fraser also won the men’s 100 breaststroke in 1:00.52.
- 15-year old Canadian Jade Hannah beat out Harvey in the 100 backstroke, winning in 58.22. She also won the 200 back in 2:06.65. She trains at the High Performance Center in Victoria.
Isn’t that footnote of a 15year old Jade going 58.2 and 2:06 in the backstrokes like burying the lead? Wouldn’t both of those swims have won gold in Rio? Doesn’t this make you think of Missy Franklin at the same age? Wow!
They don’t swim short course meters at the Olympics.
I never wanted to generate conflict.
I just asked, what records did Taylor break, nobody answered, so I investigated and placed his times.
I think that comments should not be taken personal, it is a comment section, where we are all free to give our opinion, without disrespecting other people.
Respect the opinions of everyone, be it good or bad opinions.
*ref to “his times” … Taylor is a female swimmer 🙂
Oleksiak did break the 50 fly meet record in the prelims
Good eye – updated it.
From the results, it looks like Mary-Sophie Harvey didn’t compete in the 200 IM and the 2:13.07 you have listed for her was swum by Aela Janiver instead.
It wasn’t a NS, it was a DQ for her 2IM
Something was off in her prelims. She went a 2:28, intentionally going past 15m underwater off both walls in her backstroke. Warm-up?
dont think so… she was going for that CDN record prior to this meet. this was her last SCM shot for the season!
Just wondering if there is going to be an article about Taylor ruck’s 200 back and 100 free
What records did Taylor break?
Just so there’s no confusion for other readers – Taylor Ruck isn’t at this meet. She’s swimming in England. That meet is being covered in recaps daily over on the British channel.
I can’t find a recap from the day of ruck’s 100 free at the British meet – have I missed it? Thanks for the great recaps!
(National Winter Championships 2017):
taylor:
Second place in 200 free: 1: 56.94 (she must focus on this competition is very good, the best)
First place in 100 free: 52.96
Long Course (for those wondering)
I’m not confused, I just do not understand why in a note on ontario junior international 2017, they ask about the results of taylor?
Many people want to create conflict over penny and taylor. Whenever there is a penny note, there is always someone who talks about taylor.
Both are excellent swimmers.
No conflict – they are both awesome. Just can’t find the recap for one of the days of the British meet and didn’t know where to comment!
osiel – my response was not to you. It was to the original commenter.
Osiel I meant no disrespect to penny when asking about Taylor; I was simply inquiring as to whether there was somewhere I could find info/a recap on ruck’s swims. I decided to ask here because i didn’t know where to comment and thought that since this is on a similar topic (incredibly fast young Canadian women) it would make sense here. Certainly did not mean to “create conflict” between the two, obviously they are both amazing swimmers.
@ Osiel – you’re stirring up conflict where there is none. people routinely ask in comments where to find other information on other athletes. it can be tricky following all the top junior swimmers as the tend to sometimes swim in obscure meets and also…. now that SwimSwam is as big and popular and productive as it is right now. it can be hard for some fans to keep tabs on their favorite swimmers. Braden’s quick and informative reply is a testament to the respect and professionalism of all the writers and content creators here.
so in brief… dont say there is conflict when there is none. I’m seeing more of this lately and it troubles me. I personaly adore… Read more »
I can’t seem to find the article either. Those two swims seem significant, the #1 and #2 times in the world so far this year.
https://swimswam.com/taylor-ruck-takes-200-back-canadian-nag-english-nationals/
She broke the national age group record in the 200 backstroke (becoming Canada’s second fastest ever, only behind Kylie Masse), and then became the second junior female swimmer to go under 53 seconds in the 100 free in the same night.
Third fastest in Canadian women’s 200 backstroke behind Masse and Caldwell. Canada has amazing depth in women’s backstroke.