Top Canadian, British 18 & Unders Highlight Ontario Junior International

2019 Ontario Junior International

• December 13-15, 2019
• Toronto, Ontario
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
• 25m (SCM)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream

The annual Ontario Junior International meet is set to get underway Friday from the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, with the top 18 & under athletes from Canada and Great Britain in action.

Women’s Field

The most notable name on the psych sheets is two-time World Championship medalist and Canadian Record holder Kayla Sanchez, who has been making some noise over the past few months competing with the Energy Standard club in the International Swimming League.

Sanchez won’t be swimming all of her best events this weekend but does come in as the top seed in both the women’s 50 back and 50 free. The 18-year-old set a new National Record in the latter three weeks ago at the ISL’s European derby, blazing to a time of 23.71. She’s entered here with a time of 23.94 (her unofficial junior world record set last year), almost a full second and a half clear of the rest of the field.

The Scarborough, Ont., native will also contest the women’s 100 breast, seeded third, and the 100 fly, seeded fifth.

Other notable names set to compete on the women’s side include the Etobicoke trio of Katrina Bellio, Hanna Henderson and Summer McIntosh, Brits Sophie Freeman and Katie Gooburn, along with Brooklyn Douthwright of the Codiac Vikings.

Bellio is the top seed in the 400 and 800 free, Henderson is ranked inside the top-3 in all six of her events, including first 200 back and 50 fly, and McIntosh, the 13-year-old who assaulted the 11-12 NAG Records over the past year, sits second in both the 400 IM and 800 free.

Freeman, 15, leads the field in both the 100 and 200 fly, and the 16-year-old Gooburn is the #1 ranked swimmer in the 50 and 100 breast.

Douthwright leads the 100 and 200 free as the only swimmer seeded sub-55 and sub-1:58.

Men’s Field

Highlighting the men’s field among the Canadians are 2019 World Championship team members Gabe Mastromatteo, Joshua Liendo and Cole Pratt.

Mastromatteo, a 17-year-old out of Kenora, holds down the top seed in all three breast events, Liendo leads the pack in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly, and Pratt is entered in a whopping eight events, holding the top time in the 100 and 200 back and the 200 and 400 IM.

Another noteworthy name competing is Alberta native Finlay Knox, who set a Canadian National Record in November competing in the ISL with the London Roar. Knox did so in the 200 IM, but won’t race that event here with the ISL Finals on the horizon in one week’s time. The 18-year-old will take on the 50 free, 100 breast and 50 fly.

Among the British males competing is National Junior Record holder Matt Richards, who was sub-49 this summer in the long course 100 free. He comes in seeded second in that event (and the 50) behind Liendo, but does lead both the 200 free and 50 fly.

Others competing for Great Britain include 200 fly top seed Edward Mildred, and the #2 seed in the 200 breast Kyle Booth.