UCSC Demolishes Decade-Old Canadian 800 Free Relay Record By Almost 14 Seconds

2023 SPEEDO CANADIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 1-6, 2023
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC)
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Day 2 Recap
• Day 3 Recap

The University of Calgary Swim Club (UCSC) absolutely demolished a decade-old Canadian boys’ 15-17 national age group (NAG) record in the 4×200 freestyle relay by nearly 14 seconds with a time of 7:23.48 on Friday night.

The quartet of 15-year-old Laon Kim (1:51.08), 17-year-old Paul Dardis (1:50.95), 17-year-old Aiden Norman (1:51.98), and 17-year-old Lorne Wigginton (1:49.47) combined to crush the previous standard of 7:37.22 that the Oakville Aquatic Club clocked in 2013. That same super team also broke the 4×100 free relay NAG record by almost four seconds on Wednesday evening.

“It feels good, you know, two records, especially when it’s by almost 14 seconds,” Kim said.

“Getting to be on a relay with these three guys, it’s special,” added Wiggington, who missed the 400 IM final at last month’s World Championships by less than a second. “We work so hard in the pool together and know what we’re capable of so when we get to show it off together it’s so much fun.”

Kim’s leadoff time of 1:51.08 marked a new personal best, shaving over a second off his previous-best 1:52.18 from the Mel Zajac Jr. International Meet in June. The Canadian boys’ 15-17 NAG record in the 200 free is 1:48.74 from Hassaan Abdel-Khalik from 2009.  It was the age group star’s first meet representing UCSC after previously competing with the Hyack Swim Club throughout his career.

Earlier in the session, Kim posted a personal-best 23.01 to win the 50 free, taking .17 seconds off his best time (23.18) from June. He’s already a half second faster than he was at the Canadian Trials in late March (23.55). Kim still has more than two years remaining to chase down the boys’ 15-17 NAG record of 22.51 set by Josh Liendo in March of 2020. On Thursday, he won the 100 free in a time of 50.39, knocking more than six-tenths of a second off his previous PB to become the fastest 15-year-old in Canadian history.

Another national record came courtesy of Alison Gobeil in the women’s 200 IM SM5. The Club Juvaqua d’Alma standout first lowered the mark to 4:30.98 in prelims before improving by .23 seconds in the final for her second record in a day. Gobeil was just a day removed from recording a new 100 free S5 national record in 1:32.41 on Thursday night, lowering her own standard of 1:34.06 in morning prelims.

“I feel really good. I didn’t expect to do that,” Gobeil said. “It proves that the training pays off. I really wanted to better my time and I took the measures for that to happen.”

Tyson Jacob from Les Loutres added a 50 free S5 national record with a 38.73, taking nearly a second off his own record from less than 24 hours prior. Jacob Brayshaw also got in on the record-breaking action with a new standard in the 150 IM SM2 (5:47.16).

Check out the full list of Day 4 champions below:

Women

50 freestyle (Para multiclass): Maxine Lavitt, University of Manitoba Bisons Swimming, 28.46

150 individual medley (Para multiclass): Hannah Burns, London Aquatic Club, 4:15.60

200 individual medley (Para multiclass): Emma Van Dyk, Brock Niagara Aquatics, 2:39.80

50 freestyle (13-14): Ziyun Liu, Canadian Dolphins Swim Club, 26.78

50 freestyle (15-17): Kamryn Cannings, University of Calgary Swim Club, 26.03

50 freestyle (18+): Sarah Fournier, C.N. Region de Quebec, 25.24

50 breaststroke (13-14): Hayleigh Haines, University of Calgary Swim Club, 32.99

50 breaststroke (15-17): Alexanne Lepage, Kelowna Aquajets, 31.56

50 breaststroke (18+): Rachel Nicol University of Calgary Swim Club, 30.81

400 individual medley (13-14): Ziyun Liu, Canadian Dolphins Swim Club, 5:00.15

400 individual medley (15-17): Alexanne Lepage, Kelowna Aquajets, 4:50.39

400 individual medley (18+): Tessa Cieplucha, Markham Aquatic Club, 4:42.81

Men

50 freestyle (Para multiclass): Fernando Lu, Langley Olympians Swim Club, 25.84

150 individual medley (Para multiclass): Jacob Brayshaw, KISU Swim Club, 5:47.16

200 individual medley (Para multiclass): Tyson Macdonald, Region of Waterloo Swim Club, 2:17.65

50 freestyle (14-15): Laon Kim, University of Calgary Swim Club, 23.01

50 freestyle (16-18): Paul Dardis, University of Calgary Swim Club, 23.16

50 freestyle (19+): Mathieu Ouellet, C.N. Region de Quebec, 22.82

50 breaststroke (14-15): Oliver Dawson, Grande Prairie Piranhas, 28.97

50 breaststroke (16-18): Steve Frantskevich, Ramac Aquatic Club, 28.40

50 breaststroke (19+): James Dergousoff, High Performance Centre – Vancouver, 27.72

400 individual medley (14-15): Keiran Dyck, Saskatoon Goldfins Swim Club, 4:37.05

400 individual medley (16-18): Jordi Vilchez, Barrie Trojan Swim Club, 4:26.89

400 individual medley (19+): Tristan Jankovics, Royal City Aquatics, 4:17.40

Relays 

Women’s 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay (13-15): Pointe-Claire Swim Club 4, 8:47.33

Women’s 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay (16+): University of Calgary Swim Club 2, 8:16.28

Men’s 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay (14-15):  Elite Swim Club 1, 7:56.76

Men’s 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay (18+): University of Calgary Swim Club 2, 7:23.48