Swimming Canada Announces Two Additions to High Performance Centre
Swimming Canada on Monday announced two new additions to the training groups at their two High Performance Centres.
The High Performance Centre Ontario has added two swimmers, Ottawa native Regan Rathwell and Ashley McMillan of Penticton, British Columbia. They’ll join a stable of elite athletes based at the two HPCs, one in Toronto and the other in Vancouver.
Rathwell trained with coach Jason Allen at Greater Ottawa Kingfish. She finished fourth in the 200 backstroke (2:11.72), seventh in the 100 backstroke and 12th in the 200 individual medley at Canadian Olympic Trials in June. A member of the high school class of 2022, she’ll attend the University of Tennessee next fall.
McMillan swam at KISU Swim Club for coach Tina Hoeben. She tallied a spate of persona-bests at Olympic Trials, capped by finishing fifth in the 200 IM in 2:13.81. She was also fifth in the 400 IM, eighth in the 100 fly and ninth in the 200 breast. McMillan has committed to USC.
Rathwell and McMillan will work with head coach Ben Titley and associate head coach Ryan Mallette.
“It has been such a privilege being here and getting to train with the swimmers and the coaches,” McMillan said in a Swimming Canada release. “The training is definitely on a whole new level and I am absolutely loving it. Everyone has been so welcoming, and getting to train with the best in the world every day is super inspiring.”
The HPCs produced 14 of the 26 swimmers (including open water) that represented Canada at the Tokyo Olympics. The core of that team – Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse, Sydney Pickrem, Kayla Sanchez, Finlay Knox, Josh Liendo, Yuri Kisil – train at HPC Ontario.
“The High Performance Centre network was critical toward the success of the Swimming Canada team in the pool at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and the centres will continue to be a large part of the strategy toward Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028,” High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson said. “The coaches and the athletes did a great job maintaining their focus towards Tokyo. That was possible due to the support to Swimming Canada programs from Own the Podium, Sport Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee.”
Among those who joined the HPCs during the COVID-19-related disruptions in 2020 were Olympian Summer MacIntosh, Elan Daley (both HPC Ontario) and 2019 World Championships participant Emma O’Croinin (HPC Vancouver).