A new generation of Canadian swimmers that announced itself in April at the Canadian trials in Saanich Commonwealth Place has blasted through the pool with a national-record 11 medals as the FINA world championships concluded Saturday in Budapest.
The old guard wasn’t done just yet, either, as Penny Oleksiak eclipsed the retired Ryan Cochrane of Victoria with nine career world championship medals atop the all-time Canadian list. Cochrane is now second with eight.
“I honestly didn’t even know that,’’ Oleksiak said in a statement. “Being on this team is such a privilege. It’s awesome to be a part of it and accomplish things like that.
“All of my medals at worlds are in relays so it feels weird to claim that title on my own. It’s obvious at this point I wouldn’t be here without the team. I feel really lucky to be part of Team sa国际传媒.”
The sensational Summer McIntosh, 15, launched from Saanich to Budapest in outstanding fashion and won the women’s 400-metre individual medley on Saturday for her second gold and fourth medal of the world meet, becoming the first Canadian swimmer to win two gold medals at a world championships.
Josh Liendo had vowed at the trials in Saanich that the Canadian men were ready to match the women, who accounted for all 12 total medals won in the pool by sa国际传媒 in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics: “It’s been building and we have been patient. We’re coming,” Liendo told the sa国际传媒.
Liendo was as good as his word as he became only the fifth swimmer to win medals in both the 100-metre freestyle and 100-metre butterfly in the same world championships, and he added a rely medal.
The Canadian men have not won an Olympic pool medal since Victoria’s Cochrane and Mission’s Brent Hayden in 2012 at London. But an emergent young group, led by Liendo, will look to end that drought at Paris 2024.
The former Canadian record was eight pool medals at the 2019 worlds in Gwangju, South Korea.
“This puts into context what a great team it is,’’ said Swimming sa国际传媒 national coach John Atkinson.
The open-water portion of the world championships, featuring two-time 5K worlds medallist Eric Hedlin of Victoria, begins this week in Budapest following the conclusion of the pool events.
Meanwhile, the world Para championships were held separately in Madeira, Portugal, with rising Nicholas Bennett of Parksville winning two silver medals as he continues building for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Next up internationally for the sa国际传媒 swimmers are the 2022 Commonwealth Games from July 28 to Aug. 8 in Birmingham, England.
