2024 CANADIAN OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC TRIALS
- May 13-19, 2024
- Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre – Toronto, Ontario
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
There is no shortage of young talent on the rise in Canada, and some of them should make some noise and shake things up at next week’s Olympic Trials.
Below, find some key names to watch in Toronto.
2023 Worlds Team Members: Jansen, Finlin & Wigginton
Three members of Canada’s 2023 World Championship team deserve mention right off the bat as up-and-coming talents despite the fact they may have already broken through to a degree.
Ella Jansen is coming off a busy run of international appearances, representing Canada in the women’s 400 free, 400 IM and 800 free relay in Fukuoka, winning 400 IM silver at World Juniors while tackling a daunting schedule, and then racing the 400 free, 200 fly and 400 IM at the 2024 Worlds in Doha.
The 18-year-old will contend for a spot in the 400 free and 400 IM, and should feature in the 200 free after splitting 1:56.9 at World Juniors. She’ll also be near the top of the heap in the 200 fly but will need to drop just over a second and a half to get under the ‘A’ cut.
Emma Finlin has emerged as the top female distance swimmer in the country, and she’s already punched her ticket to Paris in the open water 10km.
The 19-year-old was 12th in the women’s 1500 free in Fukuoka and is the top seed at Trials by nearly 30 seconds, with her PB of 16:15.77 just shy of the Olympic ‘B’ cut (16:13.94). In the 800 free, where she’s also the top seed, the Edmonton Keyano product will need to drop seven seconds to get the ‘B’ cut.
Like Jansen, Lorne Wigginton has raced at the 2023 Worlds, World Juniors and then the 2024 Worlds in Doha over the past 10 months, developing into Canada’s best option in the men’s 400 free and 400 IM and right at the top in the 200 free and 200 IM.
The 18-year-old UCSC product who now trains out of HPC – Ontario is the clear favorite in the 400 IM, holds the top seed in what should be a competitive 400 free, and will vie for a spot on the 800 free relay.
Alexanne Lepage, 18
Lepage has quickly developed into one of the fastest breaststrokers in Canadian history.
She finished 7th in the women’s 100 breast at the 2023 World Trials, setting a personal best of 1:09.66. Five months later, she roared to the World Junior title in 1:06.58, ranking her #5 all-time in Canada and just 12 one-hundredths shy of the #2 spot.
That performance makes her the frontrunner in a tightly-bunched 100 breast field at the Olympic Trials, with Shona Branton (1:06.59) and Sophie Angus (1:06.66) coming off setting new best times early this year.
At the Canadian Open in April, Branton, Kelsey Wog, Lepage and Angus were separated by just over four-tenths of a second in the 100 breast, all going 1:07, so the race figures to be razor-thin with youth on the side of Lepage. Veteran Sydney Pickrem is also in the mix.
Coming off her first year at the University of Calgary, Lepage is also a contender in the 200 breast, sitting as the 3rd seed behind Pickrem and Wog with her PB of 2:24.70 set at World Juniors where she claimed the gold medal.
Pickrem went 2:22.94 at the 2024 Worlds, and Wog was 2:23.49 at the 2023 Pan Ams, so Lepage is not the favorite in the 200, but she’s in the hunt.
Julie Brousseau, 18
Brousseau was an ‘A’ finalist in five events at the 2023 World Trials, and followed up that impressive domestic performance by winning seven medals (three individual) at World Juniors and capping off the year with the Pan Am title in the 400 IM.
Poised to break out and make her debut at a major international meet on the senior stage (not including Pan Ams), Brousseau has taken on a daunting schedule in Toronto, entering eight events. She may not race all of those, but the seven-day meet (and no semis like U.S. Trials, and no relays like most club meets) makes it possible.
Brousseau, a Florida commit from the Nepean Kanta Barracudas, will be a contender for an individual spot on the Olympic team in the 400 free and 400 IM, and will also be in the mix in the 800 free relay. Summer McIntosh figures to be dominant in all three of those races at the Trials, but Brousseau will challenge for the runner-up spot as the #4 seed in the 400 free (4:11.38), #4 seed in the 400 IM (4:38.45). and #5 seed in the 200 free (1:58.09)—her PB in the 400 free is actually slightly faster, 4:11.32, from her 5th-place finish at Pan Ams.
Laila Oravsky, 17
Oravsky has accrued some international experience in open water and has a bright future in the distance events. Based on her best times, it’s too early for her to challenge for a spot on the Olympic team, but the Barrie Trojans product is seeded 2nd in the 1500 free (16:45.11) and within range of cracking the top eight in the 400 and 800.
Ella Cosgrove, 16
Still just 16, Cosgrove was 7th in the 800 free at the World Junior Championships last year and split 1:58.6 on the 800 free relay, and got some more experience by racing the 800 and taking 16th in Doha. Similar to Oravsky, it’s likely a little too early for Cosgrove but she’s someone to watch as the #3 seed in the 800 free and #7 in the 400 free.
Laon Kim, 15
We dove into Kim’s progression and Olympic chances in the men’s storyline article—he is only 15, but he’s got a realistic chance of a top-four finish in the 200 free and locking in a spot in Paris in the 800 free relay.
Without even factoring in his Olympic prospects, Kim will be an intriguing swimmer to watch all week as he tackles a busy schedule with more National Age Group Records possibly in his sights. The owner of half of the individual long course records in the boys’ 13-14 age group (7/14), Kim has more than two years to vie for the 15-17 records, but has a shot in the 200 free (1:49.62 PB / 1:48.74 record) and a big drop will put him close in the 50 and 100 free.
Ethan Ekk, 17
Ekk, who trains out of the Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club in the U.S., was on impressive form at the Canadian Open in April, setting a few best times including a noteworthy 1:59.22 in the 200 back.
That swim lands him at 4th on the psych sheets for the Trials, and with a month to taper down, it stands to reason he could go even lower next week and challenge for the top spot. Hugh McNeill is the top seed (1:57.73), and the ‘A’ and ‘B’ cuts sit at 1:57.50 and 1:58.09, respectively.
The 17-year-old Ekk also went 1:50.28 in the 200 free last month, just short of his PB of 1:50.21 from February. If he can get into the 1:49-lows or faster, he’s firmly in the hunt for a relay berth in Paris.
Aiden Norman, 18
Norman was a finalist in the 100 and 200 back at the 2023 World Juniors and set best times of 54.77 and 1:59.35 last year, landing him at 4th and 5th, respectively, on the psych sheets.
The 18-year-old UCSC swimmer has gone 55.1 twice in the 100 back to go along with a 1:59.7 showing in the 200 back in recent months, showing that he’s nearly on PB form without a full taper. Norman was on fire in December in short course meters, so he’s got a good amount of momentum entering his first Olympic Trials.
Senc-Samardzic is a free relay contender after swimming lifetime bests of 49.80 in the 100 free and 1:49.82 in the 200 free last September at World Juniors, and his highest finish of the meet came in the 100 fly where he was 6th after breaking 53 seconds in all three rounds.
Coming off his freshman year at Arizona State, Senc-Samardzic is the 8th seed in both freestyle events and 5th in the 100 fly (52.85). The 100 fly figures to be dominated by Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun, but the 100 and 200 free present opportunities for him to challenge for an Olympic berth.
Oliver Dawson, 16
Dawson is a name to watch for the future, as the Grand Prairie Piranhas product placed 13th at World Juniors last year in the 200 breast in 2:17.70, and less than two months ago, dropped his PB down to 2:17.13 at the Western Canadian Championships.
That performance ranks Dawson as the seventh-fastest 16-year-old in Canadian history and the fastest since Gabe Mastromatteo went the fastest time ever for a Canadian 16-year-old (2:15.78) in 2018.
Dawson is still developing and doesn’t project to challenge for an Olympic spot this week, but he spearheads the next generation of male breaststrokers in Canada.
Don’t forget 16 year old Clare Watson. She’s the 4th seed in the 200 fly.
Summer McIntosh is also a young star! You forgot about her (just kidding…)
She’s still 17!
Another young dark horse contender for the men’s 4×100 free relay is Antoine Sauvé of CAMO. He’s 6th seed and been improving lately.
Canada has a bright future with these
young talented swimmers.
I would add Paul Dardis, another UCSC swimmer, who got a chance of top 4 finish in
100 free. Really excited to see them!
Why would people downvote the above?Weird.
Because it’s SwimSwam. I would guess non-Canadians who want to “boo” anything positive.
These boys are super competitive in practice 🤘. Paul & Aiden are going to be huge assets for the Gators next season. I predict at least 3 current (or recently depart) Dinos & likely 4 making Paris.
Anyone having an adverse reaction to swimmers that live and train abroad vs homegrown swimmers?
No
It’s such a natural reaction.
If two compete, of course, I’ll support a swimmer who grew up and trained in Canada.
No….pretty stupid comment.There are lots of American hockey players playing hockey in Canada.Are their parents and fans mad at them?….Probably not.
Comparing a team/professional sport is not apples to apples. If a hockey team wins, fans are celebrating that the team won and no one cares where the players are from. In swimming the Olympics are the main stage and the country you represent is what people associate with. I’m merely highlighting the fact that in swimming, in addition to talent, it matters where you train and who you train with. There is just more of a wow factor with a homegrown Canadian champion vs one that trains and lives abroad.
I think they were referring to American players in junior leagues.
Agreed!
Are you referring to Summer McIntosh? Or the university-aged swimmers who go south to swim in D1?
I have! and also the opportunistic ones such as the one named on this article, a male from Florida.
Thanks for doing another in depth article on the upcoming Canadian Trials James.
I would also add Delia Lloyd and Madison Kryger to the list of promising youngsters knocking on the door.
I would add those names too… or at least 1 of them.
200 back will be a dog fight between them! If Ingrid Wilm or Regan Rathwell are not in their top shape, either Delia or Madison could easily go to Paris