Texas A&M Junior Sydney Pickrem Breaks Canadian Record in 200IM

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
• Full Competition Schedule
• Meet Info
• Psych Sheets
• Omega Results
• Pick ’em Contest
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Sydney Pickrem has broken the Canadian National Record in the women’s 200 IM. Swimming in the first semi-final of the event on Sunday at the 2017 FINA World Championships, she touched in 2:09.17 to win her heat. That qualified her 3rd through to the final behind the defending Olympic and World Champion, and World Record holder, Katinka Hosszu of Hungary (2:07.14) and American Melanie Margalis (2:08.70).

Pickrem’s swim broke her own record of 2:09.56 done at Canada’s World Championship Trials in April. That swim was done on a quick 3-week turnaround from the NCAA Championships. Now, with a full 14-week cycle to prepare for these World Championships, she’s dropped another four-tenths from the record.

Pickrem has now the four fastest times in Canadian history – her 2:10.14 from prelims, a 2:10.08 from 2015, her trials swim, and now her semi-final record-setting swim.

Comparative splits for the four swims:

• Pickrem, 2017: 28.71 / 1:01.64 (32.93) / 1:38.92 (37.28) / 2:10.14 (31.22) – PRELIMS
• Pickrem, 2015: 28.99 / 1:01.67 (32.68) / 1:39.07 (37.40) / 2:10.08 (31.01)
• Pickrem, 2017: 28.62 / 1:01.74 (33.12) / 1:38.70 (36.96) / 2:09.56 (30.86)
• Pickrem, 2017: 28.65 / 1:01.58 (32.93) / 1:38.46 (36.88) / 2:09.17 (30.71) – FINALS

Pickrem had the second-fastest breaststroke split of the semi-finals, behind only Russia’s Yulia Efimova – who is one of the two best breaststrokers in the world.

Pickrem is a Canadian citizen, but has spent most of her life in the United States. She grew up in Florida and goes to college at Texas A&M.