Kylie Masse, Rebecca Smith Highlight 2019 Toronto Grand Prix

 2019 TORONTO GRAND PRIX

• January 18-19, 2019
• Hosts: Toronto Swim Club (TSC)
• LCM
• Psych sheets
• Schedule

The 2019 Toronto Grand Prix is set for this weekend, with the Toronto Swim Club (TSC) hosting the long course meet.

A handful of Canadian stars will be competing this weekend in Toronto. The headliner is Kylie Masse, who studies at and competes for the University of Toronto (UT). Masse is the former world record holder in the 100m back, and is still the second-fastest 100 backstroker in female long course history. She’s the top seed in all three of her events, the 100 back, 200 back, and 50 free.

Rebecca Smith, one of the sprint freestyle talents that has risen with Canada’s youth wave, is also entered in three events and is the top seed in them all. She’s slated to race the 100 free, 200 free, and 100 fly. Smith, a freshman at UT and now a collegiate teammate of Masse’s, will be joined by another teenager-on-the-rise in Madison Broad of the Chatham Y Pool Sharks (CYPS). Broad is seeded 2nd in both backstrokes and is the top seed in the 400 IM.

TSC, the host team, will feature breaststrokers Miranda Stever and Eli Wall. Stever is the top seed in both breaststrokes on the women’s side, and Wall is the same for the men.

Two more names to watch are 16-year-old Joshua Liendo and 14-year-old Katrina Bellio.

Liendo, who trains with the North York Aquatic Club (NYAC), is a rising talent in sprint free and fly. At the 2018 Jr Pan Pacs, he earned a bronze swimming fly (53.65) on Canada’s 400 medley relay, placed 4th in the 100 fly (54.13), and split a 49.83 on Canada’s 4th place 400 free relay, their top split. He is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, and 100 back this weekend.

Bellio, meanwhile, is the top seed in the 400 free, and is entered in six events in total. The Etobicoke Swim Club freestyler won the 200 free, 400 free, and 800 free in the 13-14 category at the 2018 Canadian Junior Championships last year. She just competed at the Pro Swim Series – Knoxville, where she went lifetime bests of 4:19.27 in the 400 free, 8:49.77 in the 800 free, and 4:56.07 in the 400 IM, placing 7th in the 800 free.