Only Breaststroke Survives Another Record-Breaking Night At Canada Games

By guest writer Julia Wilkinson-Minks (2008 & 2012 Canadian Olympian)

SHERBROOKE, Canada, August 6. RECORDS continued to fall in the pool at Canada Games tonight, but for the first time since the start of this meet, two records managed to withstand the fierce competition, however, including one held by a former World Record Holder.

In the women’s 200 breaststroke, Ontarios Erin Stamp led the way in 2:33.43, followed by her teammate Genevieve Robertson in 2:34.16. The meet record of 2:32.95, set by 2008 Olympian and former world record holder Annamay Pierse, will stand to see another Canada Games.

The men’s 200 breaststroke saw the closest battle of this competition so far, with Ontario’s Evan White out-touching Quebec’s Antoine Bujold by two hundredths of a second. White finished in 2:17.70, but team Quebec can take solace in the fact that the meet record of 2:17.50, set by Quebecois Olympian Mathieu Bois back in 2005, survived the race.

In the men’s 100 backstroke, Ontario’s Jeffrey Swantson broke the Canada Games record set in 2001 by Olympian (2004) Matt Rose. Swantson was well under the old mark of 56.43, taking first as the only swimmer under the 56 second mark in 55.88.

After already taking a full second and a half off the old record in prelims, Kennedy Goss lowered her own record again and led a 1-2 finish by Ontario in the women’s 100 backstroke. Goss finished first in 1:01.95, followed by Danielle Hanus, who finished in 1:02.50. Goss is the daughter of two-time Olympic medalist Sandy Goss, a household name in Canadian swimming. Goss seems to be on her way to following in her father’s footsteps.

15-year-old Emily Overholt overhauled the meet record in the women’s 400 freestyle, setting a new mark of 4:15.75 and winning a gold medal for Team BC. Quebec’s Caitlin Hodge scored her second silver medal of the meet, finishing in 4:17.17. On the men’s side, three swimmers posted sub-four minute times in prelims, putting all of them under the old meet record of 4:00.25. 16-year old Teddy Kalp from Team Ontario held onto his top spot through the final, and lowered the record again to 3:55.76 en route to another 1-2 finish for Team Ontario.

In the women’s 50 butterfly, and Quebec’s Frederique Cigna lowered the record she set in prelims, finishing first in 27.59. On the men’s side, Ontario’s Edward Liu became the first ever swimmer in Canada Games history to break the 25-second barrier, setting a new record of 24.91 en route to winning gold.

Alberta nearly snapped the Ontario women’s relay streak in the 400 freestyle relay, but the team of Victoria Chan, Sharalynn Missiuna, Kylie Masse and Kennedy Goss touched first in a new meet record of 3:49.23. A very fast anchor leg from Alberta’s Paige Kremer was not quite enough to catch Team Ontario, and they earned silver in 3:49.38.

The Ontario men’s 400 freestyle relay gave the province a 6-for-6 relay record so far: Mitchel Ferraro, Teddy Kalp, Evan White, and Bryce Kwiecien-Delaney finished ahead of second-place Alberta in a new record time of 3:24.34.

In men’s para-swimming, Alec Elliott of Ontario won his second and third gold medals of the meet, winning the 50 backstroke S1-5/ 100 backstroke S6-14 race in 1:04.94. Elliott was also victorious in the men’s 50 S1-7/ 100 S8-14 butterfly, winning in 59.34.

In the women’s para-swimming, Alicia Denoon added another gold to both her individual tally and team Ontario’s haul, winning the 50 S1-5/ 100 S6-14 in 1:20.96. Saskatchewan’s Sam Ryan earned the province’s first gold medal of this competition with her win in the 50 S1-7/ 100 S8-14 butterfly in a time of 1:19.22.

In the men’s Special Olympics category, Magnus Batara from Team British Columbia won the 100 backstroke in 1:17.49 for his second gold medal of these games. In the women’s Special Olympics category, Quebec’s Miori Henault continued her winning streak from last night, taking gold in the 100 backstroke in 1:35.25.

Competition continues through Thursday.

Julia Wilkinson-Minks is a two-time Olympian for Canada and was a finalist in the 200-meter IM at the 2008 Beijing Games. In 2010, she became Texas A&M’s first ever NCAA champion in swimming when she won the 100-yard freestyle. She graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Speech Communication. Julia retired from competitive swimming following the London Olympic Games and now lives in Texas with her husband Shane.

Follow her on twitter @juliah2o

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