Hilary Caldwell is set up beautifully to punch in her ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on the final night of competition here in Toronto at the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials.
After missing the team in the 100m backstroke, Caldwell took no chances this morning with a very strong 2:08.43 performance to take the top seed overall.
Caldwell’s time now ranks her sixth in the world this season, bumping her Canadian backstroke rival Dominique Bouchard to seventh in the world rankings.
2015-2016 LCM Women 200 BACK
DI RADO
2.05.99
| 2 | Katinka HOSSZU | HUN | 2.06.03 | 08/11 |
| 3 | Belinda HOCKING | AUS | 2.06.49 | 04/13 |
| 4 | Emily SEEBOHM | AUS | 2.06.59 | 04/13 |
| 5 | Daria K. USTINOVA | RUS | 2.06.92 | 04/22 |
| 6 | Hilary CALDWELL | CAN | 2.07.17 | 08/11 |
| 7 | Madison WILSON | AUS | 2.07.18 | 01/22 |
| 8 | Missy FRANKLIN | USA | 2.07.24 | 11/14 |
Bouchard took the second seed to Caldwell with a 2:09.63. She’s already been significantly faster than that this season. At the Arena Pro Swim Series at Orlando in the beginning of March, Bouchard swam a 2:08.90 which now ties her for seventh in the world.
The two backstroke standouts were both under the FINA ‘A’ standard of 2:10.60.
With the depth in this event, it’s very likely that Canada will be able to send two swimmers to Rio. While Caldwell leads the way, both Bouchard and Kylie Masse look to be in the running for the Olympic squad tonight.
Masse already made the team with a 59.06 Canadian record in the 100m backstroke on night two, and is somewhat of a wildcard in the longer swim.
Caldwell has the most experience of the group. In 2013 she emerged as a major backstroke player on the international scene with a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships. In 2014 she took another bronze, this time at the Commonwealth Games. Last summer she won gold at the Pan American Games.