2023 Rapids FastSwim
- December 14-17, 2023
- Richmond, British Columbia
- SCM (25 meters)
- Results (swimrankings)
A Canadian age group record that had been on the books for a quarter century went by the wayside over the weekend out west.
Competing at the Rapids FastSwim meet in Richmond, British Columbia, Hyack Swim Club’s Shima Taghavi put up a time of 2:29.69 in the girls’ 200 breaststroke (SCM), stunningly doing so at just 11 years of age.
With another year left in the age group, Taghavi’s performance broke the Canadian NAG record for 11-12 girls by nearly nine-tenths of a second, lowering the mark of 2:30.55 established by Courtenay Chuy—a fellow Hyack Swim Club product—back in 1998.
The record is notably one of just five individual SCM marks in the age group not held by Summer McIntosh, who owns the 11-12 NAG marks across the other nine events.
Prior to that performance, Taghavi held a best time of 2:34.46, set in October, but showed signs a short course drop was imminent after she went 2:34.92 in the long course event on Dec. 10 in Vancouver.
That performance ranks #2 all-time in the 11-12 age group, trailing Allison Higson‘s mark of 2:34.11 from 1986. Chuy ranks third in the long course event at 2:37.37.
One day after her NAG record in the 200 breast in Richmond, Taghavi set a new British Columbia Provincial Record in the 100 breast in a time of 1:11.39, breaking the 2014 mark established by Faith Knelson at 1:11.70.
That moves Taghavi into #3 all-time in the 11-12 age group in Canada, trailing Higson (1:10.11) and Tara Sloan (1:10.97).
Taghavi held a previous best time of 1:12.42, set in October, and went 1:12.96 in the LCM 100 breast earlier this month, which like the 200 breast, ranks #2 all-time in the 11-12 age group behind Higson (1:10.94).
Americans don’t traditionally race short course meters, but to provide further context to Taghavi’s swims, her LCM best times would rank #3 (200 breast) and #7 (100 breast) in the girls’ 11-12 age group in the United States.
Taghavi also put up a notable time of 2:23.53 in the 200 IM at the meet, ranking 15th all-time in the 11-12 age group and #1 for 11-year-olds in Canada.
Congratulations Shima on a great swim!
Wishing you all the best in the future.
Congratulations to Shima!
These comments are exactly the opposite of what our swim community should be. Tearing apart an 11-year-old girl and her coaches? Shouldn’t our goal be to make Canada a faster country? That’s something that will only happen if we can work together, not by attacking and judging a child.
Not sure what on Earth is going on in these comments, but uh..
that’s SUPER fast. Best 11&U swim in history?
Amazing!! I hope she has a great rest of the season and is having fun.
I think it would be interesting to do some kind of analysis and see the percentage of NAG holders/fastest for each age that go on the make an Olympic/Worlds/Senior International team is. And if there’s an obvious tipping point (I.e only X% of 13 year old record holders go on to make a team vs Y% of 16 record holders or something).
Another overtrained young Hyack swimmer. Good luck with longevity, that club just has no patience with age groupers
The amount of swimmers they’ve had that have flamed out by 14… yikes
Did you for a moment consider saying, “congratulations” or “amazing swim”?
I apologise. Congrats Shima. Beautiful swim. I’ve just seen enough of this crap from this coach and this club I guess I’m jaded.
Try overtraining your swimmers and see if they can make this? How much do you know about Hyack
As someone who has been part of the province’s program as a swimmer and parent there is some substance here. That being said, targeting an 11 year old who just had an amazing accomplishment is not the way to go about this. A 2:29 200 breaststroke is insane. A lot of 18+ swimmers including those in college won’t ever put up a time like that. I hope she’s getting the praise she deserves for this swim.
But, it’s a quite well known phenomenon amongst other clubs in the province. Frici Laszlo is an amazing age group coach and has done an amazing job molding young swimmers and helping them have fun in the process. He deserves all the praise and… Read more »
If you don’t know how she is training then don’t comment on it, Shima is not even in the highest group of the Hyack Swim Club.
Most swimmers in
Highest group of the Hyack doesn’t even have a ‘Western QT’ and coached by Lennnnny
There is only one swimmer in that group that does not have a Western QT, and I would like you to know that most of them are qualified for CJC or even Trials. Hyack still has lots of swimmers winning medals at provincials and dominating multiple races. Just because they lost a few good swimmers and are not getting as many points as they used to does not mean that the swimmers that are still committed to Hyack should be getting this kind of hate.
A few good swimmers is a huge understatement. The “few good swimmers”, highlighted Hyacks accomplishments over the past 20 years over last season alone, better yet, is a major part of their legacy.
Swimmers always move on and new ones always come along (Shima). Hyack will continue to create great swimmers and continue to set NAG records as we can see. This article is supposed to support shima in her amazing accomplishments over the last month, yet you can’t stop talking about the past.
Hyack is washed, everyone is literally trash talking them 😹😹😹
An 11 year old doesn’t need to read this doom and gloom crap. Lenny is a great coach
Clearly the disastrous end to last season/ beginning of this season contradicts that statement…
The 4 boys in particular who made statement swims at national competitions (trials, Canadian swimming championships) and dominated at provincials are now disbanded as duos in 2 different clubs.
Of course, Shima is still young and not even in the highest group so it is up to her to dictate her future decisions in the upcoming years.
Quit yappin lil bro
I’ve been on deck while Shima has been racing. She is fast and smooth!! Congratulations on an incredible accomplishment.
I’m not sure why congratulating a young athlete on a significant accomplishment would warrant a negative reaction. I guess that’s just the internet now….
Seems like a real fun place to hang out
I’m totally with you. The Negative Nellies are so disappointing. Why not say, bravo!
Bravo on a great swim. A genuinely impressive time for an 11 year old. Let’s hope Hyack doesn’t do what they’ve done to countless other swimmers that have come through their system and haven’t reached their full potential as a result of the coaching philosophy they have in place
Referencing a 15yr old multi-time NAG record holder?