2022 CANADIAN MALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: JOSH LIENDO
Canadian women’s swimming has been in excellent shape for the last handful of years and recently, men’s swimming has seen an uptick on the international stage as well. Between the rise of the likes of Josh Liendo, Javier Acevedo, Finlay Knox, and now up-and-coming star Ilya Kharun, who has switched his international affiliation to Canada, Canadian men’s swimming now has a lot of bright spots.
That being said, the Swammy for 2022 Canadian Men’s Swimmer of the Year goes to Josh Liendo. Having just turned 20 years old on August 20th, Liendo has quickly become one of the top men’s sprinters in the world.
He began 2022 by winning three titles at the Canadian Trials in April. Liendo won the men’s 50 free (21.63), 100 free (48.35), and 100 fly (50.88) at that meet, setting new Canadian Records in 50 free and 100 fly as well.
Liendo then went to the World Championships in Budapest, where he had an exceptional meet. He began his racing at Worlds on the Canadian men’s 4×100 free relay. Though the relay would ultimately come in sixth in finals, Liendo was spectacular. In prelims, he anchored the relay to a fifth-place finish with a sizzling 47.28, which was the fourth-fastest split in the field. They then put Liendo on the lead-off for finals, where he showed up big time with a 47.87 for a new personal best and the second-fastest lead-off split in the field.
He then improved even more in the 100 free at Worlds this summer, finishing third in semifinals of the men’s 100 free with a new personal best of 47.55. He then moved on to finals the following night, where the then-19-year-old earned the bronze medal with a 47.71. The medal was incredibly significant for Swimming Canada, marking the country’s first individual men’s World Champs medal since Ryan Cochrane won bronze in 2015. Additionally, Liendo began really closing in on Canadian swimming legend Brent Hayden’s Canadian Record of 47.27 in the LCM 100 free, which has stood since 2009.
Liendo then had to pull a double at Worlds, as the men’s 50 free and 100 fly began on the same day. Having to swim the prelims and semifinals of both races on the same day, Liendo answered the call completely, finishing third in the semis of both races to put himself in the middle of the pool for finals the following night. In finals, Liendo first picked up a bronze medal in the 100 fly, touching in 50.97, which was just 0.03 seconds out of the silver medal. He then finished fifth in the men’s 50 free final, missing the podium. Although he didn’t collect another medal in that race, Liendo swam a 21.61, which marked a new personal best as well as a new Canadian Record.
Liendo wasn’t done there, however, as on the same night as the 50 free and 100 fly finals, Liendo also competed on Canada’s mixed 4×100 free relay. Liendo led the team off in 48.02, helping them to a silver medal, Liendo’s third of the meet.
Following the World Championships in June, Liendo went to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in late July, where he would win four medals. He began his campaign there by helping Canada’s mixed 4×100 free relay to a bronze medal with a 47.89 on the second leg. The next day, he finished sixth in the men’s 50 fly final with a new personal best of 23.42. On that same night, Canada won a bronze medal in the men’s 4×100 free relay, where Liendo led off in 48.33. That medal was massive for Canada, as it marked the first Canadian men’s relay medal at a major international competition since the 2015 Pan American Games.
Moving forward, Liendo finished seventh in the men’s 100 free final, swimming a 48.66, which was a down performance for him but still marked yet another finals appearance for the budding star. The next night, he bounced back in a bing way, winning gold in the men’s 100 fly with a 51.24. That win marks Liendo’s first major international gold medal of his career.
Liendo concluded his Commonwealth Games by earning a bronze medal in the men’s 50 free, swimming a 22.02. While again, that time was off his 21.61 from the World Champs, it still marked Liendo’s seventh major international medal of the summer and his arrival on the world stage, at least for LCM racing.
Following his explosive summer, Liendo announced he would be moving to the U.S. to attend the University of Florida and compete for them collegiately. At the halfway point of the NCAA season, Liendo is currently ranked second in the yards 50 free (18.83), fourth in the 100 free (41.70), and 13th in the 100 fly (45.79), already establishing himself as a top yards swimmer.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Finlay Knox – 21-year-old Finlay Knox had an outstanding year as well. He began 2022 by setting a new Canadian Record in the men’s LCM 200 IM at Canadian Trials, swimming a 1:57.50. Knox has become a real contender in the men’s 200 IM internationally, having just won bronze at the 2022 SC World Championships last week. He swam a 1:51.04 for that medal, setting a new Canadian Record in the SCM 200 IM. Knox was also a member of the Canadian men’s 4×100 free relay at Commonwealth Games over the summer, which won the first men’s relay medal for Canada since 2015.
- Javier Acevedo – 24-year-old Javier Acevedo continues to be Canada’s top men’s backstroker. This fall, Acevedo set new Canadian Records in the SCM men’s 50 back (23.05), 100 back (49.71), and 200 back (1:49.74). At the SC World Championships last week, Acevedo also earned a silver medal in the men’s 100 IM, setting a new Canadian Record of 51.05. Over the summer, Acevedo won a silver medal on Canada’s mixed 4×100 free relay at the LC World Champs, providing a 47.96 split on the second leg of the relay. He also picked up four medals at the Commonwealth Games over the summer, including an individual bronze medal in the men’s 50 back.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
- 2021: Josh Liendo
- 2020: Finlay Knox
- 2019: Markus Thormeyer
- 2018: Markus Thormeyer
- 2017: Yuri Kisil
- 2016: Santo Condorelli
- 2015: Santo Condorelli
- 2014: Ryan Cochrane