But it鈥檚 just another step along the path for University of Victoria Vikes swimmers Richard Weinberger and Alec Page.
Weinberger became a breakout performer with his bronze-medal performance at the 2012 Summer Games, swimming the open-water 10K in the Serpentine at Hyde Park. Page became an Olympian at age 18 last summer before even stepping into a UVic classroom in September.
鈥淟ondon was just the tip of the iceberg,鈥� said Page, who will swim the 400-metre IM, 200-metre freestyle and on the Vikes 4x100 freestyle relay team at the University of Calgary-hosted CIS championships.
鈥淚 have a lot more potential and I鈥檓 motivated to get better,鈥� added the Claremont Secondary graduate from Cortes Island.
As Weinberger, Page and fellow London Olympian Stephanie Horner attest, there are some seriously talented swimmers at the CIS meet, which begins today and runs through Saturday, and also serves at the trials for the 2013 World University Summer Games in Kazan, Russia, from July 6-17.
(Two-time Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane is a UVic student but does not swim CIS).
The defending-champion UBC Thunderbirds feature Olympians Savannah King, Heather MacLean and Tera van Beilen. The host Calgary Dinos boast Olympians Amanda Reason and Erica Morningstar. Between them, UBC and Calgary have won every CIS team championship except one since 1995.
All individual gold medallists from this weekend automatically earn spots on the Canadian team to the Kazan Games, as long as they also swim in the Canadian trials for the FINA world aquatics championships April 3-6 at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
The year鈥檚 focus for the top-line swimmers, such as the Olympians, isn鈥檛 the World University Games but the FINA world championships July 19 to Aug. 4 in Barcelona.
鈥淭he [world championship] trials are a big focus and hopefully I make it to Barcelona this summer,鈥� said Page.
鈥淚t will be great swimming the trials in our home pool [Saanich Commonwealth Place].鈥�
Page comes into the 25-metre CIS meet having to make some adjustments after being in regulation 50-metre mode last weekend at the U.S. Grand Prix in Orlando, Florida.
鈥淭here are a lot more turns in short course and I鈥檓 coming in with no expectations,鈥� said Page.
鈥淚 just hope to swim fast and get best times.鈥�
Other swimmers of note on UVic鈥檚 25-member squad are Zach Parkes, Ian Mattock, Tyler Smith, Will Brothers, Eric Hedlin, Keegan Zanatta, Nicholas Sinclair, Allison Wood, Rachael Newman and Eleanora Dalling.
