Canadian Trials, Day 4 Prelims: Fresh Off 200 IM Record, Summer McIntosh Goes 2:08 200 Fly
Summer McIntosh has set two world records in three days at Bell Canadian Trials in Victoria this week. In between, she made a push at the 800 free record.
Perhaps the hardest of the bunch in her lineup of events is the 200 butterfly, a super-suited record of 2:01.81 from 2009 by China’s Liu Zige that no one in a textile suit has brushed within a second of.
That’ll be the objective for McIntosh Tuesday night at Saanich Commonwealth Place. She set the stage by going 2:08.80 in prelims.
McIntosh was first in the event by more than two seconds. She hasn’t tipped her hand much in prelims, doing just enough to get the top seed before blasting the final. That’s likely to be the case again Tuesday.
Ella Jansen took the second seed in 2:11.05. Mabel Zavaros is the third choice at 2:12.14, with Katie Forrester in the mix at 2:12.66.
The automatic qualification time for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore is 2:09.21.
Elsewhere in prelims on the fourth day of six:
- Live Results
- Psych Sheet
- Live Steam (CBC Sports on Youtube)
- Canadian Trials Preview
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
- Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap
- Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap
- Night 3 Finals Recap
Austrian international Martin Espernberger was the top seed in prelims at 1:55.44, though he’ll lead the B final. More important is that that clinches a Worlds A cut for the University of Tennessee swimmer.
The A final will be headed by Canadian Olympic medalist Ilya Kharun, the national record holder who coasted home in 1:56.00. Jake Mason is the nearest Canadian, well distant in 1:59.96. The A cut is 1:56.51.
A day after winning the 50 free, Penny Oleksiak set the pace in the 100 free at 54.25. That is right on the A cut, after her 50 free swim fell .03 seconds shy of automatic qualification.
Taylor Ruck was second in prelims at 54.80, with Sarah Fournier also under 55 at 54.88. Brooklyn Douthwright was fourth in 55.11. Both Ingrid Wilm (seventh in 55.67) and Kylie Masse (10th in 56.00) probably fell shy of their bids to get onto a relay, with McIntosh and Mary-Sophie Harvey among the candidates to jump into a quartet at Worlds. (Canada has to replace Maggie Mac Neil from the Paris Olympic squad, with Douthwright and Harvey having swum in prelims there.)
Ruslan Gaziev again led the way in prelims, as he did in the 50 free, going 48.79. The only real surprise was Josh Liendo finishing seventh in prelims, nearer to 10th than to the top seed in 49.70.
The second seed is Antoine Sauve, who went 49.09. Yuri Kisil was third in 49.24, with Filip Senc-Samardzic fourth in 49.46. Finlay Knox made his bid for the 400 free relay by going 49.64.
Among the top nine were internationals Ali Sayed in fifth and Nikoli Blackman in ninth. Laon Kim and Ethan Ekk have to swim off for the last A final spot.
Alexanne Lepage and Sophie Angus waged a thrilling battle in the women’s 100 breast on Monday. Lepage won that one, but Angus looks to have the upper hand in the 50. She was the fastest Canadian in 30.95 in prelims to lead the A final.
Lepage was fourth in 31.53, with Shona Branton in between in 31.14.
The top overall time went to Italian international Anita Bottazzo, who went 30.91. She’ll be the top seed in the B final. She’s chasing the automatic qualification time of 30.75.
In the men’s 50 breast, Noah Chang dropped a best time by nine tenths from 28.84 to the top seed of 27.96. That puts him in the middle of the A final at night. He’ll be joined by Oliver Dawson, who is looking to complete the breaststroke triple. He’s the second seed in 28.21. Third is Apollo Hess in 28.32. Hess had a fabulous opening 50 in the 100 Tuesday before falling behind Dawson.
The second-fastest time of the morning was a 27.99 for Lithuanian Aleksas Savickas. He will be in the B final. The A cut for Worlds is 27.33.