Five Stories to Watch at Canadian Swimming Trials
One of the last selection meets of the spring kicks off Saturday in British Columbia, with Canadian Swimming Trials.
Canada’s top swimming talents will take to the pool in Saanich Commonwealth Place in Victoria, B.C. for a six-day meet to sort out their selections for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. (Unlike its American counterpart, Canada will also feature paraswimming.)
The field will also include a handful of international swimmers, among them well-known American collegians like Aleksas Savickas, Martin Espernberger, Nikoli Blackman, Hrojve Tomic and Anita Bottazzo. But Canada’s best will be in the spotlight. Five things to keep an eye out for:
Summer’s summer plans
Summer McIntosh won gold medals in the 200 fly, 200 individual medley and 400 IM at the 2024 Olympics in Paris to go with 400 free silver. She is openly looking for a fifth event, having just changed her training base to swim for someone who coached a man to five individual gold medals in 2008.
McIntosh is entered in the 400 free, 800 free, 200 IM, 200 fly, 400 IM, 200 back and 200 free. The prelims and finals of the 800 free and 200 fly are on the same days at Worlds in Singapore (the former with the 200 free final at night), as are the 200 back and 800 free relay.
The veteran evolution
It’s the third Olympic cycle for a number of the Canadian program’s mainstays. (Among them, Maggie Mac Neil has already swum off into the sunset, and Kayla Sanchez is now representing the Philippines.)
Kylie Masse, at 29, just set a best time in the 50 back in May. She’s only entered in the 50 back and 100 back, eschewing the 200, in which she won bronze in Paris. She’s also in the 50 fly and the 100 free (seeded 21st).
Penny Oleksiak is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 50 fly and 100 fly. She’s coming off a time in the 100 fly at 59.53 at the Speedo Grand Challenge that is her fastest since 2020. A long time ago, she did swim the 100 fly at the Rio Olympics.
Taylor Ruck is entered in the 50 fly, 50 back, 100 back, 50 free and 100 free.
How far can Ilya Kharun push his sprint chops?
Ilya Kharun came to Arizona State out of the Sandpipers system as a 200 butterflier who could corral his impeccable technique into a competent 100 fly. Two years later, he’s coming to Canadian Swimming Trials not just with a pair of Olympic bronze medals but a fourth-place finish at NCAAs in the 50 free.
His fast-twitch ability has come miles in two seasons in Tempe. He set a best time/Canadian record of 23.09 in the 50 fly in May. He’s entered in all three butterfly events, but also the fourth seed in the 50 free at 22.42. The target time is 22.05 for a Worlds A cut, which will require him also getting past Yuri Kisil if not Josh Liendo.
Building on a successful 2024
If you except McIntosh, Masse’s bronze in the 200 back was the only Canadian women’s medal, compared to three from the men in Paris. Kharun and Liendo remain the paragons of the program, with Finlay Knox in there. But a number of male swimmers had breakout 2024 campaigns, albeit ones that remain a step below the international elite. This summer is a chance to bridge that gap.
Oliver Dawson set an age-group record in the 200 breast. He’s just 17 and the top Canadian seed, second in the 50 and third in the 100. Blake Tierney set the 200 back national senior record and got to swim both backstroke events in Paris. Tristan Jankovics, off his silver medal in the 400 IM at NCAAs, and Lorne Wiggington will chase a time under 4:10 to get into the Worlds final conversations. (Brian Johns’ 4:11.41 from Beijing is also one of five Canadian records from the supersuited era still hanging out there; Brent Hayden’s 47.27 in the 100 free is firmly in Liendo’s sights).
Youth to serve
Canada is not shy about blooding young swimmers internationally. McIntosh went to the Tokyo Olympics at 14. Emma O’Croinin was 16 at her first worlds in 2017, Emily Overholt 16 at the Commonwealth Games.
One to watch: Madison Kryger. She’s hardly unknown, the rising senior in high school committed to Tennessee. She’s seeded third in the 200 back and fifth in the 50 back and 100 back, plus eighth in the 200 free. Her best time in the 200 back is .36 off the A cut for Worlds, and presuming McIntosh stays and wins it, she’s in good position to get the second spot sans Masse.
Matea Gigovic is another possibility, the fellow future Vol seeded third in the 50 fly with a time .27 off the A standard and seventh in the 100 fly with a sub-minute time (though she’s chasing 58.33 there).