2023 Canadian Trials: Day 4 Finals Live Recap (original) (raw)

2023 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

We’re back with another day of action at the 2023 Canadian trials, which serve as a selection meet for the 2023 Canadian world championships meet. On Friday night, finals of the 200 fly, 100 free, 50 breast, as well as the para 100 fly and 50 free will be contested

The two big headliners of tonight are the top seeds in the men’s and women’s 200 fly, Ilya Kharun and Summer McIntosh. Kharun is coming in as the top seed in arguably his best event, and looks to further lower his best time of 1:54.49. Meanwhile, McIntosh will be aiming for her third record of the meet after breaking the 400 free world record and the 200 IM world junior record early on.

Another race to look out for is the 100 free, where top seeds Maggie MacNeil and Josh Liendo will lead their respective fields. In the women’s 100 free, there is opportunities for newcomers to potentially break out with Canada’s staple 100 freestylers Penny Oleksiak and Taylor Ruck not racing at this meet. Meanwhile, Liendo looks to better his time of 48.65 from the morning and inch closer and closer towards Brent Hayden’s Canadian record.

PARA WOMEN’S 100 FLY MULTI-CLASS – FINALS

Podium:

  1. Katie Cosgriffe — 1:10.05
  2. Mary Jibb — 1:13.52
  3. Angela Marina — 1:11.52

After taking top seed after prelims, Katie Cosgriffe won finals in a time of 1:10.05, a bit over a second slower than her time in the morning. Mary Jibb had a big swim for second, dropping seven seconds from her prelims time, while Angela Marina placed third.

PARA MEN’S 100 FLY MULTI-CLASS – FINALS

Podium:

  1. Nicholas Bennett — 58.25
  2. Alexander Elliot — 59.23
  3. Philippe Vachon — 1:10.40

Multi-event Canadian record holder Nicholas Bennett won yet another para race, taking the 100 fly in a time of 58.25. He was 0.07 seconds slower than his prelims time but still won by nearly a second nonetheless. Alexander Elliot was the other man in the field under a minute and finished second, while Philippe Vachon took third.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS

Top 3:

  1. Summer McIntosh — 2:04.70
  2. Katie Forrester — 2:10.99
  3. Mabel Zavaros — 2:12.69

16-year-old Summer McIntosh continued her tear on the world junior record book, clocking a 2:04.70 to break her old record by 0.35 seconds. She is now the eighth-fastest performer of all-time in the event, and the 11th woman in history to break the 2:05-point barrier.

McIntosh went out extremely quick with a 58.76 first 100, similar to how she took out her 400 free. However, she paid for it on her back half, swimming a 1:05.94 on her last 100.

Katie Forrester had a late surge in her race to take second, swimming a 2:10.99 and getting within two seconds of the FINA ‘A’ cut. Mabel Zavaros took third in 2:12.69. However, with no swimmers beside McIntosh under the ‘A’ cut, no additional Canadians will qualify for worlds in this event.

MEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS

Top 3:

  1. Ilya Kharun — 1:54.74
  2. Patrick Hussey — 1:59.54
  3. Ben Miller — 1:59.64

Ilya Kharun was dominant from start to finish in this 200 fly race, swimming a 1:54.74 to barely miss his Canadian record mark of 1:54.49 by 0.25 seconds. He swam his race very similarly to McIntosh, going out super fast with 25.23/29.00 splits (54.23) and then closing in a 29.91/30.60 (1:00.51).

Finishing in second was UNC swimmer Patrick Hussey, who overtook Ben Miller on the last 50 and beat him for second by a margin of 0.1 seconds. Miller placed third with a time of 1:59.64, which is just 0.15 seconds off his best time.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – FINALS

Top 3:

  1. Maggie MacNeil — 54.58
  2. Mary Sophie-Harvey/Brooklyn Douthwright — 55.15

Katerine Savard took her race out very quickly and was first at the 50 with a 26.32 split, but she was passed on the back half and it was Maggie MacNeil who came out in first. MacNeil was the only woman under 55 seconds in this race, swimming a 54.58 to win by over a second.

Mary Sophie-Harvey and Brooklyn Douthwright tied for second with a time of 55.15. Harvey improved upon her best time of 55.39, while Douthwright tied her PB from Olympic trials two years ago. With no swimmers underneath the FINA ‘A’ cut, only MacNeil will qualify for worlds in the 100 free as she placed first and got under the secondary standard time of 54.79.

Savard ended up in fifth with a time of 55.22.

MEN’S 100 FREE – HEATS

Top 3:

  1. Josh Liendo — 47.86
  2. Javier Acevdeo — 48.50
  3. Edouard Fullun-Hout — 49.43

For the first time tonight, two swimmers got underneath the FINA ‘A’ cut, with Josh Liendo and Javier Acevedo going 1-2 with times of 47.86 and 48.50 respectively. Liendo was just a few tenths off his PB of 47.55 from the 2022 World Championships, while Acevedo swam just 0.13 seconds slower than his own personal best. Both swimmers are qualified to swim the 100 free individually at World Championships.

In third was Edouard Fullun-Hout with a 49.43, while Finlay Knox finished 0.07 seconds behind with a 49.50.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – FINALS

Top 3:

  1. Sophie Angus — 31.13
  2. Rachel Nicol — 31.14
  3. Sydney Pickrem — 31.49

100 breast champion Sophie Angus made it a sprint breaststroke sweep, as she swam a 31.13 to just out-touch Rachel Nicol by 0.01 seconds to win the 50 breast. Angus dropped 0.13 seconds off her previous best time of 31.26 that was set over three years ago back in July 2019.

In third was Sydney Pickrem, who swam a 31.49.

MEN’S 50 BREAST – FINALS

Top 3:

  1. James Dergousoff — 27.76
  2. Gabe Mastromatteo — 27.87
  3. Brayden Taviassalo — 28.08

The men’s 50 breast also saw a tight race, with 100 breast champ James Dergousoff touching the wall 0.11 seconds ahead of Gabe Mastromatteo to take the win. Dergousoff dropped 0.06 seconds from his personal best of 27.83 from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, while Mastromatteo was a few tenths off of his PB of 27.53.

Texas commit and 200 breast champ Brayden Taviassalo was third in a time of 28.08, dropping from his best time of 28.31 set recently at the Ft. Lauderdale pro swim series.

PARA WOMEN’S 50 FREE MULTI-CLASS – FINALS

Podium:

  1. Shelby Newkirk — 33.96
  2. Auriele Rivard — 28.58
  3. Arianna Hunsicker — 28.71

Shelby Newkirk had a big swim to win this 50 free race, dropping nearly a second from her prelims time. Meanwhile, Auriele Rivard and Arianna Hunsicker posted a pair of 28-points to take second and third respectivley.

PARA MEN’S 50 FREE MULTI-CLASS – FINALS

Podium:

  1. Nicholas Turbide — 24.35
  2. Philippe Vachon — 29.40
  3. Jagdev Gill — 26.05

Nicholas Turbide won this race and also posted the fastest overall time in this field, swimming a 24.35 and dropping 0.39 seconds from his prelims time. Finishing behind him were 100 fly third place finisher Philippe Vachon and Jadgdev Gill, who placed second and third..

In This Story

Ilya Kharun
Javier Acevedo
Josh Liendo
Katerine Savard
Maggie MacNeil
Summer McIntosh
Sydney Pickrem

About Yanyan Li

Yanyan Li

Although Yanyan wasn't the greatest competitive swimmer, she learned more about the sport of swimming by being her high school swim team's manager for four years. She eventually ventured into the realm of writing and joined SwimSwam in January 2022, where she hopes to contribute to and learn more about …

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