By Nathan Sager @naitSAYger
The future of Canadian swimming was in full effect on Tuesday, with Texas A&M’s Sydney Pickrem edging world championships bronze medalist Emily Overholt (pictured below) in women’s 400-meter individual medley.
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Images
The 18-year-olds’ duel in the pool at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre highlighted a night where 20-year-old Kylie Masse lowered her women’s 100-meter backstroke record, and five Canadians earned nominations to become first-time Olympians at Rio 2016. Former Missouri Tigers swimmer Dominique Bouchard also qualified in women’s 100 backstroke. Georgia Bulldogs incoming freshman Javier Acevedo, in men’s 100 backstroke, became the first Canadian man to qualify.
Pickrem won the 400 IM in four minutes 38.34 seconds, edging West Vancouver, B.C., native, Overholt in 4:38.50.
“I’m usually a back-halfer, and when we finished breaststroke I thought ‘this is for the Olympics – I need to get going,’ ” said Pickrem, a Floridian who is a dual citizen. “It ended up working in my favor. It feels crazy I’m glad I could do it [qualify for Rio] at the beginning of the meet and be more stress-free and just go fast times for the rest of the meet. It’s a dream come true – it’s the Olympic Games.”
Overholt and Tom Johnson, her coach at Swimming Canada’s high-performance centre in Vancouver have intensified her training since the worlds. That has created an awareness she might not peak at Trials, but the 18-year-old ensured herself a ticket to Rio. Overholt appeared to lose time in the breaststroke leg.
“I knew I had to go a little faster in the breaststroke, and then in freestyle, just take it home as fast as I could,” said Overholt, who is joining the Canadian Interuniversity Sport powerhouse University of British Columbia Thunderbirds this fall. “It’s a dream. This year has been so stressful. I’ve been really excited for this race. I’m glad it worked out and I’m really glad for the summer.”
Masse, who swims for the CIS champion University of Toronto, pulled away to win in 59.06 seconds, paring 0.11 from her hours-old national mark. The Windsor, Ont., native was not on Canada’s senior national team last year, but her coming-out came when she won a gold medal at the FISU Universiade last July in South Korea.
“Ever since last summer, I’ve been really trying to focus on the smaller details of my race – my start, my turn, my transition underwater to my breakout in my stroke,” Masse said. “I was really trying to execute those.
“I don’t think [going to the Olympics] has hit me yet,” she added.
Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel/USA Today Sports Images
Hilary Caldwell (1:00.21, third) was under the FINA standard but will have to try to qualify in Sunday’s women’s 200 back. Caldwell (pictured above) and Bouchard are 1-2 in the seed times.
“Last time in 2012 I just barely missed it and this time, I am under a minute, so I am really excited,” said Bouchard, who came within a second of qualifying for London 2012.
Photo Courtesy: Swimming Canada – Acevedo
Acevedo, out of the Markham Aquatic Club, won men’s 100 back in 53.67 seconds, well within the Rio standard of 54.36.
“Everything I’ve worked for came down to this moment, everything I’ve worked on with my coaches,” Acevedo said. “The Olympics has been my dream; it’s one of the biggest things I’ve accomplished in my life.”
Through two days, Acevedo is the only man to earn a Rio berth, although that will change on Thursday since Canadian star Ryan Cochrane is up in men’s 400 free.
Former Mizzou Tiger Mack Darragh was 1.25 seconds from making the men’s 200 butterfly mark on Tuesday, winning in 1:58.22.
“I guess I could have started making my move earlier, because it is going to hurt on the last 50 [meters] anyway,” Darragh said. “I guess I just waited a little too long. The 100 fly [on Saturday] is the big one for me, so that’s the next one to focus on.”
Photo Courtesy: “Melissa Lundie”
The other Thursday finals are in men’s 200 breaststroke, women’s 100 breaststroke and women’s 200 freestyle. Overholt, 15-year-old Taylor Ruck (pictured above) and Katerine Savard are 1-2-3 in seeds time for the 200 free.
I see Taylor Ruck all the time. She trains at the same pool where I swim Masters.