TORONTO – Sebastian Massabie set a national record and 24 national champions were crowned on Day 1 of the Speedo Canadian Swimming Championships.
Massabie was one of several Paralympic team members getting into competition form at the six-day pool meet, which runs through Monday at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. The team is five weeks from the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, which begin on Aug. 28.
Showing good preparation, the Pacific Sea Wolves swimmer broke his own Canadian record in the men’s S4 200-metre freestyle twice in one day.
Massabie lowered his own mark with a morning swim of 3:06.06. While it was a good swim, Massabie then returned to crush his morning record by more than three seconds to win the Men’s 200 metre multi-class final.
“The morning was good. Today’s goal was just to be better. A week ago I swam the 200 freestyle at provincials and it wasn’t that good,” said Massabie. “My goal was to then go faster at night.”
Massabie has been working on his evening racing performances and it paid off with a 3:02.70 finish.
Paris 2024 will be Massabie’s first Paralympic team. “I feel good. I think it will set in when I get there,” added Massabie when asked if making the team felt real yet.
Preliminary heats start at 9:30 a.m. each day, with finals at 5:30 p.m.. Open water events will follow on Tuesday at the International Flatwater Centre in Welland, Ont..
Over on the women’s side, two-time Paralympian Abi Tripp from Club de Natation Région de Québec conquered the 400 -metre multi-class final with a time of 5:27.42.
Paris 2024 will make Tripp a three-time Paralympian
Paris teammate and Paralympic rookie Reid Maxwell from the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club also took home a national title with a 4:29.92 swim in the men’s 400-metre freestyle multi-class.
Just before the Paris Paralympics kick off, junior swimmers will also compete at the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Canberra, Australia from Aug. 21-24.
Meanwhile, the Open Water Junior World Championships will have 10 swimmers representing Canada in Alghero, Italy from Sept. 6-8.
Despite the distance and proximity in competition dates, Julia Strojnowska from Olympians Swimming is one of three swimmers who will compete in both competitions.
Strojnowska showed to be in good form with a comfortable win in the women’s 400-metre 18-and-over freestyle final, touching in 4:15.36
“I’m feeling pretty good overall with the time,” said Strojnowska. “I’m not really tapered so being able to go a 4:15 a month before Pan Pacifics has me feeling pretty confident.”
She will then have less than two weeks to reset and get ready for her open water races. “I definitely think of it as a big challenge but I’m just trying to stay positive and trust the training I’m going to be doing” added Strojnowska.
In the women’s 50-metre butterfly 18-and-over final, Olympic medalist Katerine Savard out-touched the competition in 26.41 to add another national title to her resume.
Below is a complete list of national champions from Day 1.
DAY 1 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS – JULY 24
Women
400 freestyle (Para multi class): Abi Tripp, Club de Natation Région de Québec, 5:27.42
200 freestyle (Para multiclass): Angela Marina, Brantford Aquatic Club, 2:16.57
50 butterfly (13-14): Ranumi Eashwarage, University of Calgary Swim Club, 28.03
50 butterfly (15-17): Matea Gigovic, Killarney Swim Club, 27.19
50 butterfly (18+): Katerine Savard, Club de Natation Région de Québec, 26.41
100 backstroke (13-14): Ève Labrie, Neptune Natation, 1:03.78
100 backstroke (15-17): Delia Lloyd, ESWIM, 1:00.56
100 backstroke (18+): Ashley McMillan, Go Kingfish, 1:00.66
400 freestyle (13-14): Michelle Zeng, West Vancouver Otters Swim Club, 4:24.25
400 freestyle (15-17): Ella Cosgrove, Dorval Swim Club, 4:16.56
400 freestyle (18+): Julia Strojnowska, Olympians Swimming, 4:15.36
Men
400 freestyle (Para multiclass): Reid Maxwell, Edmonton Keyano Swim Club, 4:29.92
200 freestyle (Para multiclass): Sebastian Massabie, Pacific Sea Wolves, 3:02.70
50 butterfly (14-15): Luke Lee, North York Aquatic Club, 25.84
50 butterfly (16-18): Filip Senc-Samardzic, Toronto Swim Club, 24.40
50 butterfly (19+): Chris Weeks, Mount Pearl Marlins, 23.77
100 backstroke (14-15): Maty Posternak, ESWIM, 59.40
100 backstroke (16-18): Aiden Norman, University of Calgary Swim Club, 54.74
100 backstroke (19+): Raben Dommann, High Performance Centre – Vancouver, 53.90
400 freestyle (14-15): Oliver Blanchard, Pointe-Claire Swim Club, 4:03.98
400 freestyle (16-18): Jordi Vilchez, Barrie Trojan Swim Club, 3:53.63
400 freestyle (19+): Edouard Duffy, Club aquatique Montréal, 3:57.30
Relays
4 x 100 Mixed Medley Relay (13-15): ESWIM 2, 4:07.84
4 x 100 Mixed Medley Relay (16+): University of Calgary Swim Club 1, 3:49.47