Kelsey Wog Swims 2:25 200 Breast, Better-Than-Trials 100 Breast, in Manitoba

2023 Golden Plains Invitational

• May 26-28, 2023
• Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• Long Course Meters (50 meters)
• Meet Results

Kelsey Wog, who will represent Canada at this summer’s World Championships, raced a local tuneup meet this weekend in the Winnipeg Pan American Games pool.

Wog, who has been a longtime part of the University of Manitoba system, including as a junior bison as a kid,  won three races on the weekend. That includes a 2:03.22 in the 200 free, a 1:08.49 in the 100 breast, and a 2:25.59 in the 200 breast.

This is Wog’s first meet since the Canadian World Championship Trials, and her time here in the 100 breast is already faster than she swam at those that ran from March 28 through April 2. There, she was 1:09.01 in the 100 breast (6th place) and 2:25.26 in the 200 breast (2nd place).

Canada still doesn’t have a clear frontrunner for the breaststroke leg of their 400 medley relay, which won bronze at last summer’s World Championships. Wog swam the prelims leg, splitting 1:08.26, though to get that spot she would have to push past Sophie Angus, who swam 1:07.68 at Trials, and Rachel Nicol, the finals incumbent.

The result in the 200 breaststroke last weekend was more important, though. She was 4th in that event at last year’s World Championships (2:23.86), and even without the new World Record holder Evgenia Chikunova from Russia, there are six other women who have been 2:22 already this season.

Wog has that 2:22 potential. In 2020, just weeks before the world shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic, she swam 2:22.42 at the Canadian U Sports Collegiate Championships (opening in 1:08.36). She is a also pretty big taper swimmer, so a 2:25-mid, being one of her better times at an off-beat meet, bodes well for her summer.

Wog is one of the few Canadian members of the World Championship team who didn’t travel to Europe for training camp and the Mare Nostrum series.

Other Notable Results:

• Chizamekpere Nkechika, born 2006, swam a best time of 26.66 in the 50 free, which knocks seven-tenths off her previous best time. She now ranks 41st in Canada this year, and 16th among 15-17s. She also swam best times in the 100 free (1:01.04) and 50 fly (30.55). All three Nkechika siblings, including 15-year-old brother Chukwurimnso and 12-year old brother Somtochukwu, swam best times at the meet.
• Cal commit Mia West (2024) swam best times in the 50 back (30.17), 100 breast (1:15.69), and 200 breast (2:43.81). She’s primarily an IM’er, and those improvements come in her weakest stroke.
• Her 15-year-old sister Halle West, whose best stroke is breaststroke, swam a best time of 29.22 in the 50 fly.