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The usual suspects 鈥� Olympic medallists Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse and Hilary Caldwell 鈥� provided the expected drama Saturday night at a packed Saanich Commonwealth Place in the Canadian trials for the 2017 FINA world aquatics championships.
But it was a relatively unknown Grade 12 Claremont student from the host Island Swim Club, Mackenzie Padington from Campbell River, who stole the show from the luminaries. She qualified for the worlds, this July in Budapest, in a stunning result in the women鈥檚 400-metre freestyle. Her 4:09.04 was the ninth fastest time in the world this year and well under the FINA qualifying standard of 4:10.57.
鈥淚 have no words to describe it. I am so shocked. I was not expecting to make this team,鈥� said Padington, 18, who was cheered on by Island Club teammates and friends and family from Victoria and Campbell River.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have done it without everyone cheering for me. I could definitely tell they were there. Tokyo [2020 Olympics] is definitely on my mind. To do this at the beginning of the quadrennial lifts my spirits and makes that dream closer to reality.鈥�
Home pool, however, proved strangely bittersweet for Victoria鈥檚 Caldwell, the Rio Olympic bronze medallist in the women鈥檚 200-metre backstroke, who was beaten by Windsor鈥檚 Masse in a mild shock. Masse rallied to touch in 2:07.23 and Caldwell second in 2:07.29. They were the two fastest times in the world this year as both swimmers qualified for the world championships in the event.
Both also qualified in the 100-metres backstroke last week as Rio Olympic bronze-medallist Masse swam the second-fastest time in history and Caldwell was second.
鈥淭his is what countries like the U.S. and Australia have in their trials,鈥� said Caldwell.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all going to benefit ultimately from this level of competition. This speaks of great things to come. Our backstroke depth is so deep. It鈥檚 pretty terrific and we will be a threat this summer.鈥�
Toronto鈥檚 Oleksiak, the four-time Rio Olympic medallist and new golden girl of swimming, won the women鈥檚 100-metre butterfly on Saturday for her second gold medal of the trials. Her time of 57.35 was the third fastest in the world this year. Katerine Savard of Pointe Rouge, Que., also qualified for the worlds with a clocking of 58.27.
The top two in each event qualify for worlds, as long as they meet the FINA standard.
Sixteen-year-old Oleksiak talked of what the post-Olympic months have been like for her: 鈥淚鈥檝e had a lot of support from Canadians. There have been no hateful comments, just a lot of love.鈥�
She also touched on the support this week at Saanich Place. 鈥淭he crowds here have been amazing 鈥� even the morning sessions have people cheering.鈥�
Jeremy Bagshaw of Victoria failed to qualify for the worlds, although he can call himself the Canadian champion in the men鈥檚 400-metre freestyle. The Island Club swimmer won the national final Saturday in 3:50.27, but over the FINA qualifying standard of 3:48.15.
鈥淚 love swimming here and how super-loud it was. I just wanted to go for it,鈥� said Bagshaw. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 all mental [about eventually reaching the qualifying standard]. It鈥檚 all about those baby steps of getting to Tokyo in 2020.鈥�
Eighteen Canadian swimmers, of the 401 gathered here for the trials, have qualified for the world championships in July. The four-day national trials conclude today. Morning qualifying is at 10 a.m. and the evening finals at 6 p.m.
