Windsor proved a podium too far for Hilary Caldwell. Or was it too short?
The Victoria swimmer fell one spot away from matching her bronze medal from the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics when she placed fourth Thursday night in the women鈥檚 200-metre backstroke at the world short-course championships in Windsor, Ont.
Katinka Hosszu of Hungary won gold, Daryna Zevina of Ukraine silver, Emily Seebohm of Australia bronze with Caldwell fourth in 2:03.98.
The short-course worlds are held over 25 metres rather than the 50-metre Olympic pool distance and are considered a minor event compared to the 2017 FINA world aquatics championships next summer over 50 metres in Budapest. The short-course worlds are taking place in a temporary pool placed in the 6,700-seat WFCU Centre, normally home to the Ontario Hockey League鈥檚 Windsor Spitfires.
鈥淚t would have been nice to be on the podium, but fourth right now is not too bad,鈥� said Caldwell, in a statement.
鈥淭his race really helped me prepare for next summer [Budapest],鈥� added the 2013 FINA world long-course bronze medallist.
Caldwell is joined in Windsor for the world short-course championships by fellow Victoria High Performance Centre swimmers Jeremy Bagshaw and Sarah Darcel. Their coach at Saanich Commonwealth Place, Ryan Mallette, is the Canadian team head coach at the Windsor worlds.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a different race strategy over 25 metres 鈥� more aggressive 鈥� than it is in racing 50 metres,鈥� said Bagshaw.
Darcel, an emerging Grade 12 Claremont student, was shaded out of a spot in the eight-swimmer women鈥檚 100-metre IM final when she placed ninth in qualifying Thursday.
Teen sensation Penny Oleksiak of Toronto, gold medallist in the women鈥檚 100-metre freestyle at the Rio Olympics, won the world short-course bronze medal in that event Thursday. Tall and lanky swimmers such as Oleksiak are better suited to 50 metres than 25 metres.
Two-time Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane of Victoria is in Windsor as a goodwill ambassador for Canadian swimming, but is not competing as he contemplates his competitive future in the sport.
