2023 Canadian Trials: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2023 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

• March 28 – April 2, 2023
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre – Toronto, Ontario
• TPASC
• Long Course Meters
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
• Day 6 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 6 Finals Heat Sheets

With two world records and two world junior records on the books from this meet alone, the question to ask heading into this session is what record will Summer McIntosh break in the 200 freestyle? The Canadian and world junior records are McIntosh’s 1:54.13, the Commonwealth record is a 1:53.09 from Ariarne Titmus, and the world record remains Federica Pellegrini‘s legendary 1:52.98.

She is going to be racing against the clock tonight as she attempts to add a 5th individual event to her 2023 World Championships lineup, adding to the 400 free, 400 IM, 200 fly, and 200 IM. Other events on the lineup for day six finals are the multi-class 100 backstroke for the women and men, the men’s 200 freestyle, the men’s and women’s 50 butterfly, the women’s 800 freestyle, and the men’s 1500 freestyle.

Para Women’s 100 Backstroke Final

1. Shelby Newkirk – 1:21.06
2. Katie Cosgriffe – 1:10.94
3. Danielle Dorris – 1:23.76

Shelby Newkirk started off with a national title in the 100 backstroke here, touching the wall in the event with a 1:21.06. Her best time in this event comes from back in 2019 when she hit a 1:19.99 at Canadian Trials. Newkirk is the reigning World Champion in the S6 100 backstroke, having won the event at Madeira 2022.

Katie Cosgriffe placed second with a 1:10.94 and 2022 Worlds silver medalist in the S7 100 backstroke Danielle Dorris got onto the podium with a 1:23.76 for the bronze medal.

Para Men’s 100 Backstroke Final

1. Nicholas Bennett – 1:02.57
2. Tyson MacDonald – 1:03.09
3. Alexander Elliot – 1:03.77

Nicholas Bennett won yet another national title in this event, posting a 1:02.57 100 backstroke to drop 1.84 seconds from his prelims time. Bennett’s PB in this event is a 1:02.49 from earlier this season.

Tyson MacDonald and Alexander Elliot touched with one second each other and MacDonald won the silver medal with his 1:03.09 while Alexander Elliot took bronze with a 1:03.77.

Women’s 200 Freestyle Final

• World Record: 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini (Italy) – 2009
• Canadian Record: 1:54.13, Summer McIntosh – 2023
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:58.66

1. Summer McIntosh – 1:53.91
2. Mary-Sohpie Harvey – 1:58.40
3. Ella Jansen – 1:58.46

Summer McIntosh has now set five world junior records at this meet, powering her way to gold in the 200 freestyle with a 1:53.91. That brings the WJR under 1:54 for the first time as McIntosh previously held it at a 1:54.13 from earlier this year.

McIntosh’s swim here is also a new Canadian record, which she formerly held, and is well under the FINA A cut of 1:58.66. After breaking Ariarne Titmus‘ world record in the 400 freestyle a few days ago McIntosh narrowly missed Titmus’ Commonwealth record in this event of 1:53.09 from the Australian Olympic Trials in 2021.

While McIntosh won by more than four seconds, Mary-Sophie Harvey had a solid swim here as well and got under the FINA A standard by 0.26 seconds. That gets Sophie-Harvey a spot on the team in this event and nears her lifetime best of 1:57.81 from 2017.

Ella Jansen also swam under the qualifying standard here but won’t get a spot in the individual event due to the two-swimmer limit. She will likely get to race on Canada’s 4×200 freestyle relay, however. Emma O’Croinin has missed the national team for the past few years but seems to have made her way back here with a 1:58.94, which should get her a relay position as well.

Men’s 200 Freestyle Final

• World Record: 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (Germany) – 2009
• Canadian Record: 1:46.40, Brent Hayden – 2008
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:47.06

1. Javier Acevedo – 1:47.72
2. Patrick Hussey – 1:48.39
3. Jeremy Bagshaw – 1:49.27

No men swam under the automatic qualifying standard of 1:47.06 in the 200 freestyle tonight but Javier Acevedo managed to crack the secondary cut of 1:48.13. That means that Acevedo will likely get the chance to race this event in Fukuoka this summer if he chooses to add the 200 free to his lineup of the three backstrokes.

Acevedo hadn’t been under 1:49 in this event prior to this swim, having held a best time of 1:49.02 from almost a decade ago in 2014 at Ontario Junior International.

Patrick Hussey also got under 1:49 here, shaving 1.15 seconds off his prelims swim, and hit a 1:48.39 to claim the silver medal. The bronze went to Jeremy Bagshaw who notched a 1:49.27 to trial his 1:47.48 best time from 2015.

Women’s 50 Butterfly Final

• World Record: 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) – 2014
• Canadian Record: 25.62, Penny Oleksiak – 2017

1. Katerine Savard – 26.56
2. Kylie Masse – 26.59
3. Kamryn Cannings – 26.73

There was an exciting battle for the podium in the shortest butterfly event of the meet as four different women posted a time between 26.56 and 26.75. Katerine Savard and Kylie Masse touched only 0.03 seconds apart in this event as Savard won in a 26.56 and Masse took silver with a 26.59.

Savard cracked 26 seconds during prelims for the first time since 2016 when she hit a 26:59. That swim beat her best time of 26.92 and she has now further improved upon her PB in the final. Masse’s night swim was equal to Savard’s morning time and is a 0.40 second drop from her 26.99 heats time.

Masse came into this meet with a 26.96 from last year at Trials, meaning that she also set a new lifetime best in the final. Kamryn Cannings and Ingrid Wilm finished 0.02 seconds apart to 3rd and 4th as Cannings touched first with a 26.73 to Wilm’s 26.75. Beyond those four, Danielle Hanus came in fifth with a 27.04 and Eloise Allen was sixth in a 27.51.

Men’s 50 Butterfly Final

• World Record: 22.27, Andriy Govorov (Ukraine) – 2018
• Canadian Record: 23.30, Santo Condorelli – 2015

1. Josh Liendo – 23.27
2. Ilya Kharun – 23.42
3. Justice Migneault – 24.38

Josh Liendo finished his meet with a new Canadian record in the 50 butterfly, taking out Santo Condorelli‘s mark of 23.30. Condorelli, who doesn’t race internationally for Canada anymore, swam the former record back in 2015.

Liendo’s best time in the 50 butterfly before now was a 23.42 from his swim at the Commonwealth Games, which placed him sixth overall in the final. Liendo qualified to race the 100 butterfly at the 2023 World Championships earlier on this week so his win here means he could race the 50 fly at that meet as well.

Ilya Kharun got under 24 seconds for the first time in this event at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim in March 2023 when he hit a 23.73 and he shaved another 0.14 seconds off in prelims with a 23.59. In the final he was faster again, hitting a 23.42 for the silver medal.

Justice Migneault and Mathieu Ouellet battled it out for bronze and finished only 0.01 seconds apart from each other. Migneault touched first with a 24.38 and Ouellet came in with a 24.39 for fourth place.

Women’s 800 Freestyle Final

• World Record: 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2016
• Canadian Record: 8:20.02, Brittany MacLean – 2014
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 8:37.90

1. Mabel Zavaros – 8:38.17
2. Kathryn Hazle – 8:47.36
3. Ella Cosgrove – 8:47.72

After a few unsuccessful attempts at making the World Championships team throughout this meet, it looks like Mabel Zavaros has booked a ticket to Fukuoka. Zavaros swam an 8:38.17 in the event to win the gold medal and narrowly miss the 8:37.90 FINA A cut. Zavaros’ time was, however, under the secondary Swimming Canada time standard of 8:43.08.

When no one cracks the FINA A, the fastest swimmer under the FINA A cut will likely be nominated to the team. This is her first time under 8:40 in the event as she posted a best time of 8:40.31 last summer at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

While three more swimmers in this event got under 8:40, no one else will likely qualify because only one swimmer is selected using the secondary selection standards. Kathryn Hazle and Ella Cosgrove were only separated by 0.36 seconds, hitting 8:47.36 and 8:47.72, respectively. Julia Strojnowska wasn’t far behind in an 8:48.37 for fourth.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle Final

• World Record: 14:31.02, Sun Yang (China) – 2012
• Canadian Record: 14:39.63, Ryan Cochrane – 2012
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 15:04.64

1. Eric Brown – 15:26.85
2. Alex Axon – 15:31.70
3. TimotheBarbeau – 15:32.99

To close out the 2023 Canadian Trials, Eric Brown won the 1500 freestyle with a 15:26.85. This is Brown’s third title of the meet as he pulled off a distance freestyle sweep, winning the 400 with a 3:50.81 and the 800 freestyle with a 7:56.96.

Brown missed the FINA A cut of 15:04.64 by more than 20 seconds and was also slightly slower than the secondary qualifying standard of 15:13.69 meaning that he won’t be automatically selected for the World Championships team for the 1500 free.

Alex Axon nearly equaled his 15:31.93 entry time in this event by swimming a 15:31.70 for the silver medal and Timothe Barbeau dropped 18.53 seconds from his entry time of 15:51.52 to hit a 15:32.99 for bronze.