Commentary by Nathan Sager
Brittany MacLean made a statement that she is past the injury years by turning in the world’s second-fastest women’s 400-metre freestyle on Day 1 of the Canadian Olympic & Para-swimming Trials.
MacLean’s four-minute, 3.84-second winning 400 free was one of three world Top 5 times recorded by Canadian women at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Fifteen-year-old phenom Penelope Oleksiak stretched to win women’s 100-metre butterfly in 56.99 seconds to 20-year-old Noemie Thomas’ 57.02, as both earned Olympic nominations ahead of Katerine Savard.
MacLean’s breakout, of course, was finishing seventh in 400 free at the 2012 Olympics as a teenager. Hip and shoulder ailments slowed the Etobicoke, Ont. native’s progress during the middle of her career with the Georgia Bulldogs, and led to her skipping the 2015 Pan Am Games and World Aquatic Championships. Time off to rehab set her up for senior season at UGA, where she won the NCAA 200-yard freestyle title last month.
Tuesday, MacLean joined Katie Ledecky as the only other woman to have covered the 400 free in less than 4:04, although it bears noting Australia has yet to hold its trials. France’s Coralie Balmy (4:04.39) and the United States’ Leah Smith (4:04.74) round out the top four.
This experience these last four years has been very up and down,” MacLean said. “But I wanted to give it everything I have left in me this year and so far I’m happy with the way things have turned out.
There was a time when I never dreamed that I would beat my [2012] Olympic final time. So this is really special for me.”
Fifteen-year-old Taylor Ruck, whose targeted peak is the 2020 Olympics, was second in 4:09.93. The FINA Olympic standard is 4:09.08.
The 6-foot Oleksiak, lived up to her advance billing, edging the 5-foot-5 Thomas in the women’s 100 fly. Their times were third and fourth-fastest in the world. Katerine Savard, who was third in 57.75, was bumped out of a Rio berth in the event. The trio finished in the same order during prelims.
“It’s pretty surreal – I train here every day and if you had told me a year ago that I was going to do this, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Oleksiak, a Torontonian who is part of Swimming Canada’s Ontario high-performance centre. “I still cannot believe it right now.”
Thomas exhibited potential in 2012, at age 16, by making the finals at the FINA short-course worlds. A nagging foot injury that has inhibited her kick has held her back for much of the cycle leading up to the Trials.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Thomas, who’s from Richmond, B.C., near Vancouver. “This morning was my best time (57.60 seconds) in three years.”
On the men’s side, the theme of the night was heartbreak and future hope, as five men came narrowly close to the 2016 Olympic standard. In 100 breaststroke, Jason Block’s Canadian-record 1:00.59 was .02 shy of the standard. Former Michigan Wolverines all-American Richard Funk also just short in 1:00.92.
“It stings a little – two one-hundredths is not much, but it is what it is,” Block said. “It’s a good swim, I am happy with it. I have the 200 on Thursday, so I will start focusing on that.”
Six-foot-five Markus Thormeyer (1:48.20) and 23-year-old veteran Jeremy Bagshaw (1:48.23) had a thrilling duel in the men’s 200 freestyle. It went for naught since the mark to make was 1:47.97, although the 18-year-old Thormeyer is new to the distance.
“This is the first year I started 200 free, so this is fun for me,” said Thormeyer. “The crowd definitely got me going before my race. Today was a good set-up for the rest of the meet; it gave me confidence.”
Similarly, in men’s 400 individual medley, Pan Am Games silver medalist Luke Reilly prevailed in 4:17.14. The 20-year-old fell off the pace over the final half-length to come up shy of the needed 4:16.71 mark.
“I’m disappointed, but I gave it my best shot,” Reilly said.
Wednesday’s finals include a highly anticipated women’s 100 backstroke showdown between University of Toronto star Kylie Masse, former Missouri Tigers standout Dominique Bouchard and 2012 Olympian Hilary Caldwell.
Jenny Zhang