Sydney Pickrem Out of 2022 Commonwealth Games Due To Personal Reasons

2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

• Friday, July 29 – Wednesday, August 3, 2022
• Birmingham, England
• Sandwell Aquatic Center
• Start Times
  • Prelims: 10:30 am local / 5:30 am ET
  • Finals: 7:00 pm local / 2:00 pm ET
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Event Schedule
• Entry List

Yet another prominent member of the Canadian women’s national team won’t be competing at this year’s Commonwealth Games.

2021 Olympic medalist and four-time World Championship medalist Sydney Pickrem has withdrawn from the meet due to personal reasons, Swimming Canada told SwimSwam Wednesday.

“Sydney withdrew from the Commonwealth Games a few weeks ago for personal reasons,” a spokesperson for Swimming Canada said. “After conversations between Sydney and her coaches, she came to the decision that this was the best choice for her.”

The 25-year-old Pickrem represented Canada at the 2022 World Championships last month, placing 11th in the women’s 200 IM. Her semi-final showing of 2:11.28 was slower than her winning time from the Canadian Trials in April (2:10.58) and well off her National Record of 2:08.61 set in 2019.

Pickrem issued the following statement on her withdrawal:

“I’m sad to not be alongside my teammates in Birmingham but I will cheer for them from back home while I continue my own preparations to be at my best when given the next opportunity represent Team Canada.”

Pickrem also did not race at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia. At the 2014 Games in Glasgow, Scotland, she finished eighth in the women’s 200 IM at the age of 17.

Pickrem dropping out of the 2022 Games marks the third Canadian medalist from last summer’s Tokyo Olympics to take their name out of the mix after initially being named to the team in April.

Prior to the start of the World Championships in June, seven-time Olympic medalist Penny Oleksiak withdrew from the Commonwealth Games in order to reset prior to the 2023 season, while Kayla Sanchez, who placed sixth in the 100 free at the 2022 Worlds, was released by Swimming Canada to pursue representing the Philippines internationally in the future.

Another mainstay on the Canadian women’s team at major international competitions, Taylor Ruck, withdrew her name from the Commonwealth Games prior to the team being named.

Pickrem won Olympic bronze last summer after swimming the breaststroke leg on the Canadian women’s 400 medley relay, and she’s won four bronze medals at the Long Course World Championships during her career, including three in 2019 in the women’s 200 breast, 200 IM and 400 medley relay.

The former Texas A&M Aggie also collected three medals at the 2021 Short Course World Championships, including winning individual gold in the women’s 200 IM and adding a second title in the 800 free relay.

Based on times produced in 2022, Pickrem would’ve been coming into the Games ranked third in the 200 IM (2:10.58) behind Australian Kaylee McKeown (2:08.57) and Canadian teammate Mary-Sophie Harvey (2:10.22).

Without Pickrem competing, Canada has not entered a third swimmer into the 200 IM at the Games, though rising star Summer McIntosh will take on the event for the first time at a major international competition, joining Harvey.

The pool swimming portion of the 2022 Commonwealth Games will run from July 29 through August 3 in Birmingham, England.