2024 Canadian Olympic & Paralympic Trials: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2024 CANADIAN OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC TRIALS

• May 13-19, 2024
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre – Toronto, Ontario
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• How To Watch
• Swimming Canada Olympic Selection Criteria
• Psych Sheets (Updated 05/10)
• Live Results
• Prelims – Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap | Day 3 Recap | Day 4 Recap | Day 5 Recap
• Finals – Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap | Day 3 Recap | Day 4 Recap

Day 5 Finals Heat Sheet

The Canadian Olympic & Paralympic Trials continue Friday night with finals of the Para 50 backstroke, women’s 100 freestyle, men’s 200 back, women’s 200 breaststroke, men’s 200 butterfly, and Para 200 IM.

Rio Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak led the morning heats of the 100 free in 54.12, her best time since the 2022 World Championships. Mary-Sophie Harvey was exactly a second behind the Olympic qualifying time (53.61) with her runner-up finish in 54.61 during prelims. The event is missing big names such as Summer McIntosh and Maggie MacNeil, who both scratched out of the 100 free before prelims this morning.

Three swimmers went sub-2:00 in the men’s 200 back during prelims: Aiden Norman (1:58.30), Ethan Ekk (1:59.68), and Blake Tierney (1:59.71). The Olympic qualifying time sits at 1:57.50.

Kelsey Wog dominated the women’s 200 breast this morning with an Olympic ‘A’ cut of 2:23.71. She should be challenged in tonight’s final by Sydney Pickrem (2:28.06), Alexanne Lepage (2:28.52), and Sophie Angus (2:28.65).

National record holder Ilya Kharun (1:55.79) missed the Olympic qualifying time in the 200 fly this morning by just a hundredth of a second. Max Malakhovets (1:59.55), and Kevin Zhang (1:59.72) could also vie for an Olympic berth tonight.

Stay tuned for live updates below:

DAY 5 SCHEDULE

• Women’s Para 50 Back
• Men’s Para 50 Back
• Women’s Open 100 Free
• Men’s Open 200 Back
• Women’s 200 Breast
• Men’s Open 200 Fly
• Women’s Para 200 IM
• Men’s Para 200 IM

WOMEN’S 50 BACK PARA – FINAL

• Canadian S3: 1:08.48 – Nikita Ens (2022)
• Canadian S5: 55.91 – Alisson Gobeil (2023)

Top 2:

1. Nikita Ens, S3 (LASER) – 1:11.60 (556 points)
2. Aly Van Wyck-Smart, S3 (WS) – 1:13.64 (521 points)

National record holder Nikita Ens won the Para 50 back final in 1:11.60, a few seconds off her personal-best 1:08.48 from 2022. After placing 9th at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, she said her goal for Paris is breaking the 1:10 barrier again.

Fellow S3 swimmer Aly Van Wyck-Smart was a couple seconds behind Ens in 1:13.64. The full Paralympic squad will be announced on Sunday after comparing this week’s times against world rankings.

MEN’S 50 BACK PARA – FINAL

• Canadian S4: 53.74 – Sebastian Massabie (2024)

Top 1:

1. Sebastian Massabie, S4 (PSW) – 55.32 (503 points)

After setting the S4 Canadian record in prelims this morning at 53.74, Sebastian Massabie was slightly slower tonight at 55.32.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE– FINAL

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2017)
• Canadian Record: 52.59 – Penny Oleksiak (2016)
• 2021 Champion: Penny Oleksiak – 52.89
• OLY Qualifying/Consideration Standards: 53.61/53.88

Top 10:

1. Penny Oleksiak (TSC) – 53.66
2. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAMO) – 53.71
3. Brooklyn Douthwright (CNBO) – 54.33
4. Taylor Ruck (UNCAN) – 54.47
5. Rebecca Smith (CASC) – 54.70
6. Sienna Angove (UNCAN) – 54.89
7. Ainsley McMurray (CSLA) – 55.20
8. Danielle Hanus (RAPID) – 55.44
9. Sarah Fournier (CNQ) – 55.58
10. Ella Jansen (HPCON) – 55.65

Canada’s most decorated Olympian, Penny Oleksiak, narrowly missed the Olympic ‘A’ cut by just .05 seconds with her victory in 53.66. But the 23-year-old did punch her ticket to her third Olympics on Canada’s 4×100 free relay thanks to her top-4 finish along with Mary-Sophie Harvey (53.71), Brooklyn Douthwright (54.33), and Taylor Ruck (54.47).

The win marked Oleksiak’s fastest 100 free since the 2022 World Championships (52.98). She has been as fast as 52.59 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when she placed 4th just .07 seconds off the podium.

Harvey dipped under 54 seconds for the first time, dropping more than half a second off her previous-best 54.26 from March. It will be her second Olympics after competing in the heats of the 4×200 free relay in Tokyo.

Douthwright also dropped more than half a second off her previous-best 54.94 from prelims. Her best time before today was 55.15 from 2021. Ruck owns a lifetime best of 52.72 from back in 2018 and was quicker at March’s Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont (54.44). Paris will be the first Olympics for Douthwright and third for Ruck.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• Canadian Record: 1:56.96 – Markus Thormeyer (2017)
• 2021 Champion: Cole Pratt – 1:58.11
• OLY Qualifying/Consideration Standards: 1:57.50/1:58.09

Top 10:

1. Blake Tierney (GOLD) – 1:56.74 *Canadian record, OQT
2. Hugh McNeill (UBCT) – 1:58.49
3. Tie: Aiden Norman (UCSC) / Ethan Ekk (UNCAN) – 1:58.92
4. –
5. Raben Dommann (HPCVN) – 2:00.02
6. Cole Pratt (CASC) – 2:01.49
7. Lois Courville Fortin (CAMO) – 2:01.76
8. Parker Lenoce (UNCAN) – 2:03.25
9. Thomas Caruso (SPART) – 2:04.21
10. Brendan Oswald (WAC) – 2:04.65

Blake Tierney dropped more than two seconds in the 200 back to pull out the victory in 1:56.74, under both the Olympic ‘A’ cut and the Canadian record in the event. Markus Thormeyer had previously held the national standard at 1:56.96 from the 2019 World Championship semifinals. T

he 22-year-old Tierney called the result “unexpected” in his post-race interview, even after winning the 100 back on Tuesday with an Olympic qualifying time of 53.48. He will be making his Olympic debut in Paris this summer in both backstroke events.

Hugh McNeill touched within a second of the Olympic ‘A’ cut with his runner-up finish in 1:58.49. The 20-year-old has been as fast as 1:57.73 during prelims of the 2023 World Championships last summer.

Aiden Norman and Ethan Ekk tied for 3rd place in 1:58.92. Norman, a Florida commit (’24), dropped almost half a second off his previous-best 1:59.35 from last April while Ekk dropped a few tenths off his previous-best 1:59.22 from last month.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova, RUS (2023)
• Canadian Record: 2:20.12 – Annamay Pierse (2009)
• 2021 Champion: Kelsey Smith – 2:23.40
• OLY Qualifying/Consideration Standards: 2:23.91/2:24.63

Top 10:

1. Sydney Pickrem (TSC) – 2:23.79 *OQT
2. Kelsey Wog (UMAN) – 2:23.80 *OQT
3. Alexanne Lepage (UCSC) – 2:25.67
4. Sophie Angus (HPCON) – 2:27.03
5. Katja Pavicevic (TSC) – 2:27.94
6. Avery Wiseman (OSC) – 2:29.80
7. Kamila Blanchard (PCSC) – 2:29.65
8. Tessa Cieplucha (MAC) – 2:30.56
9. Shima Taghavi (HYACK) – 2:32.60
10. Amaris Peng (UBCT) – 2:33.63

Sydney Pickrem came from behind to win a thrilling 200 breast battle against Kelsey Wog (2:23.80) by just a hundredth of a second in 2:23.79 as both swimmers finished just under the Olympic ‘A’ cut of 2:23.91.

Pickrem, 26, is headed to her third Olympics while the 25-year-old Wog is on her way to her second Summer Games. Pickrem owns a lifetime best of 2:22.63 from 2019 while Wog has been as fast as 2:22.82 in 2019.

Alexanne Lepage held off Sophie Angus (2:27.03) for 3rd place with a time of 2:25.67, about a second off her winning time from the World Junior Championships last September.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2022)
• Canadian Record: 1:53.82 – Ilya Kharun (2023)
• 2021 Champion: Mack Darragh – 1:58.10
• OLY Qualifying/Consideration Standards: 1:55.78/1:56.36

Top 10:

1. Ilya Kharun (UNCAN) – 1:54.41 *OQT
2. Kevin Zhang (WAT) – 1:59.14
3. Max Malakhovets (ESWIM) – 1:59.17
4. Jordi Vilchez (BTSC) – 1:59.42
5. Michael Andrew Sava (RAMAC) – 1:59.76
6. Benjamin Loewen (CREST) – 1:59.82
7. Patrick Hussey (PCSC) – 1:59.91
8. Bill Dongfang (ISC) – 2:00.60
9. Hayden Ghufran (UNCAN) – 2:01.64
10. Harrison Smith (UNCAN) – 2:02.09

Ilya Kharun qualified for his first Olympics with a 200 fly victory in 1:54.41, not far off his Canadian record of 1:53.82 from last year. The 19-year-old posted a time tonight that ranks third in the world this season behind Tomoru Honda (1:53.15) and Genki Terakado (1:54.07). It also would have won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I’m going for top 3 — and more,” Kharun said afterward of his goals for the Paris Olympics this summer. “To beat Leon Marchand. I’m coming.”

Kevin Zhang touched more than four seconds behind Kharun in 1:59.14, just a few hundredths ahead of Max Malakhovets (1:59.17). Zhang was within a couple tenths of his personal-best 1:58.97 from his 7th-place finish at World Juniors last September.

Jordi Vilchez (1:59.42), Michael Andrew Sava (1:59.76), Benjamin Loewen (1:59.82), and Patrick Hussey (1:59.91) also broke the two-minute barrier in the A-final.

WOMEN’S 200 IM PARA – FINAL

• Canadian SM5: 4:23.06 – Hannah Ouellette (2024)
• Canadian SM7: 2:56.98 – Tess Routliffe (2024)
• Canadian SM9: 2:37.54 – Stephanie Dixon (2008)
• Canadian SM10: 2:28.73 – Aurelie Rivard (2021)
• Canadian SM13: 2:27.64 – Valerie Grand’Maison (2012)
• Canadian SM14: 2:36.48 – Angela Marina (2022)

Top 10:

1. Tess Routliffe, SM7 (UL) – 2:54.78 (1,023 points) *Canadian SM7 record
2. Danielle Dorris, SM7 (CNBO) – 3:05.23 (883 points)
3. Jaime Cosgriffe, SM10 (OAK) – 2:35.10 (867 points)
4. Mary Jibb, SM9 (MUSAC) – 2:43.37 (858 points)
5. Katarina Roxon, SM9 (AASC) – 2:46.56 (815 points)
6. Maxine Lavitt, SM13 (UMAN) – 2:37.68 (787 points)
7. Angela Marina, SM14 (BRANT) – 2:37.29 (764 points)
8. Hannah Ouellette, SM5 (LASER) – 4:19.28 (569 points) *Canadian SM5 record
9. Clemence Pare, SM5 (SAMAK) – 4:22.58 (551 points)
10. DQ – Ella Tucker, SM5 (MTA)

Tess Routliffe crushed her Canadian SM7 record in the 200 IM by more than two seconds with her time of 2:54.78, accumulating the most Para points at 1,023. Her previous best stood at 2:56.98 from earlier this year.

Fellow SM7 swimmer Danielle Dorris turned in a strong performance with a time of 3:05.23, good for 883 Para points.

Hannah Ouellette also toppled a Canadian record in the SM5 category with her 8th-place effort of 4:19.28. She lowered her own national standard of 4:23.06 from prelims this morning.

MEN’S 200 IM PARA – FINAL

• Canadian SM7: 2:48.19 – Jean-Michael Lavalliere (2015)
• Canadian SM8: 2:34.03 – Phillippe Vachon (2018)
• Canadian SM10: 2:10.01 – Benoit Huot (2012)
• Canadian SM14: 2:07.69 – Nicholas Bennett (2024)

Top 6:

1. Nicholas Bennett, SM14 (RDCSC) – 2:05.97 (1,075 points) *World record
2. Reid Maxwell, SM8 (EKSC) – 2:31.03 (849 points) *Canadian record
3. Alexander Elliot, SM10 (CNQ) – 2:17.26 (815 points)
4. Fernando Lu, SM10 (LOSC) – 2:20.30 (769 points)
5. Charle Giammichele, SM7 (GHAC) – 2:48.77 (758 points)
6. Zach Zona, SM8 (NHAC) – 2:41.93 (709 points)

Nicholas Bennett demolished his own SM14 Canadian record from prelims in the 200 IM with a personal-best 2:05.97, in the process taking down the world record, too.

Bennett annihilated his previous-best 2:07.69 from this morning from last year, touching more than a second under Gabriel Bandeira‘s former world record of 2:07.50 from 2022.

Reid Maxwell also threw down a statement swim for his SM8 category, taking three seconds off Phillippe Vachon‘s Canadian standard from 2018 (2:34.04) with his personal-best 2:31.03. His previous best stood at 2:34.49 from prelims this morning.