Canadian Olympian and former world record holder Amanda Reason is tearing up the pool at the Alberta Open this weekend, winning two events last night and earning herself a silver and gold tonight.
Reason swam a 56.46 last night to claim the gold in the 100m freestyle. She was well off her best time of 54.04 that she set at the 2012 CIS Championships, but produced her fastest 100m freestyle since last year’s CIS Championships in February of 2013.
Following her win in the 100m freestyle she went on to earn herself a second gold in the 50m breaststroke, an event in which she held the LC World Record back in 2009. Reason swam a 32.71 to take the gold, well off her Canadian Record of 29.96. Reason broke the 50m breaststroke world record at the Canadian World Championship Trials in 2009 with a time of 30.23. It was broken less than a month later by Russia’s Yuliya Yefimova at the world championships where Yefimova won the gold, Reason settling for seventh.
Since then it seems as though Reason has shied away from the breaststroke sprint to focus on her freestyle. At both the 2012 Canadian Olympic Trials and the 2013 Canadian World Championship Trials Reason’s program consisted of the 50m, 100m, and 200m freestyle. In fact, this 50m breaststroke was her first breaststroke swim since last year’s CIS Championships where she swam a 32.99 and ended up 15th in prelims.
Tonight Reason swam the 50m freestyle, this morning she took the top spot heading into finals with a 27.11. She also took the third spot in the 400m freestyle with a time of 4:32.47. Tonight she bettered both of those times en route to a medal in both events. In the 50m freestyle she took off a second from the morning to post a 26.11 and take home the gold. In the 400 she picked up her fourth medal of the meet finishing second behind Sophia Saroukian in 4:24.69.
Reason will be swimming in the 200m freestyle prelims tomorrow morning, what should be an easy opportunity to qualify for the finals.
It looks as though after a little bit of an absence, Reason is working herself back into top form. With the Canadian Pan Pac Trials coming up, it’s most likely that she will compete in the 50,100, and 200m freestyle. If Reason can swim fast, she’ll be a sure contender for a relay spot and be up in the running for a individual qualifying position in either of the two sprint freestyles.
For full meet results click here.