FINA WORLD CUP, BERLIN – A busy summer of fast swimming has come to an end for some of Canada’s best swimmers.
Fresh off a strong showing at FINA World Championships in Barcelona, 16 swimmers went on to World Cup stops in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and Berlin over the past week.
Canada won eight medals in Berlin, finishing strong with five on the competition’s final day Sunday. Katerine Savard of Pont-Rouge, Que., won three medals and set a new Canadian record of 56.35 in women’s 100-metre butterfly. Montreal’s Sandrine Mainville also took home three medals and set a new national mark of 52.41 in women’s 100-m freestyle. One other Canadian record fell in Berlin as Winnipeg’s Chantal van Landeghem swam the 50-m backstroke in 27.01.
Overall Canada had 10 individual finalists, all of whom improved their times in finals. A vast majority of the swimmers improved on their qualifying times. Berlin came on the heels of a four-medal performance in Eindhoven.
Swimming Canada High Performance Director John Atkinson added the World Cups to the team’s summer tour plans just after his arrival in Canada from British Swimming in March. He was pleased the tour achieved its goal.
“The purpose of attending the World Cups was to extend the competitive season, and have swimmers race fast in a 25-metre pool off the taper for the World Championships in Barcelona, and for some the Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia,” Atkinson said.
“The swimmers did a great job on this tour following the World Championships and have stepped up race after race and have gained lots of experience that will flow into next season.”
This release was provide to swimswam by Swimming Canada.