Warning: some lyrics in the background music may be offensive
The High Performance Centre – Ontario along with Richard Funk took to Europe for a three week training and racing camp, competing on the Mare Nostrum Tour and soaking up some sun as is evident in the video above.
Every member of the squad is preparing for a major international competition this summer, with all of them heading to the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games to compete in their home pool.
Audrey Lacroix, the newest member of the group and one of the top butterfly swimmers in the world, took home a gold medal in the 200m fly on the first stop of the tour in Canet, France. With the 2:07.63 she swam there, she’s currently ranked seventh in the world this season.
World Championship bronze medallist Martha McCabe also saw success over in Europe, taking a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke on the Rome stop of the tour. McCabe is currently ranked 13th in the world in the 200m breaststroke this year, and is one of the top medal hopefuls for Canada at both the World Championships and Pan Am Games this summer.
Chantal Van Landeghem grabbed the only other medal for the group, finishing second in the 50m freestyle in Rome. The Georgia swimmer trains in Toronto with Ben Titley when she’s not at school, and has quickly asserted herself as one of the top sprinters in the nation.
Richard Funk’s preparing with HPC-Ontario for the Pan Am Games right now with head coach Ben Titley. Funk is the top breaststroker in Canada, and has had an extremely successful collegiate career representing the University of Michigan.
Michelle Williams and Sandrine Mainville are two swimmers who have the potential to really spice things up in terms of not only individual performance, but the success of Canada’s relays.
Both freestyle sprinters, the two competed successfully at the Canadian Trials and will both be heading to the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia this summer.
Zack Chetrat, the remaining swimmer on the squad will be heading to the Pan Am Games. He has been one of Canada’s premier butterfly swimmers for the past several years.
