News & Articles

Record breaking weekend for Canadian swimmers

News –

Markus Thormeyer broke two national records and Kayla Sanchez became the fastest under-18 female ever in the 50-m freestyle on a fast weekend of short-course swimming for Canadians.

Thormeyer, of Swimming Canada’s High Performance Centre – Vancouver, started the Odlum Brown Limited College Cup off strong, leading off the University of British Columbia men’s 4x50m medley relay. Thormeyer teamed with Jaren LeFranc, Josiah Binnema, and Alex Loginov for a time of 1:37.24, beating the previous record of 1:37.80 Team Canada set at the Windsor 2016 FINA World Championships (25m).

Thormeyer continued the momentum by setting another Canadian short-course record in the  200-m backstroke. The 21-year-old touched first in a time of 1:52.12, just sneaking under the previous record of 1:52.15 held by Jake Tapp set at the 2010 short-course worlds. Thormeyer also won and set a pool record the 100-m backstroke in a time of 52.15.

Meanwhile, at the NYAC Cup in Toronto, Kayla Sanchez of the High Performance Centre  Ontario won the 50-m freestyle in a time of 23.94. The 17-year-old’s time makes her the fastest junior female ever in the 50-m freestyle, swimming under the existing world junior record time of 24.00 held by Menghui Zhu of China. Canadian females hold the fastest short-course times in all three sprint freestyle events (Penny Oleksiak, 52.01 in the 100; Taylor Ruck, 1:52.50 in the 200).

Other notable performances from the Odlum Brown Cup include Binnema’s pool records to win all three butterfly events. He went 24.7 in the 50, 53.18 in the 100, and 1:57.57 in the 200.

Kelsey Wog, swimming for the University of Manitoba Bisons, also had a successful meet winning gold medals and setting pool records in the 50-m breaststroke in 31.03, 200-m breaststroke in 2:21.41, 200-m freestyle in 1:58.10 and the 200-m individual medley in 2:10.61. Wog also took home gold in the 100-m breaststroke.

In NCAA swimming this weekend, Maggie MacNeil, of London, Ont., won a gold medal and set an Iowa pool record in the women’s 100-yard butterfly at the University of Michigan, Iowa and Denver swim meet. Mabel Zavaros, of Oakville, Ont., won the 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly at the University of Florida vs. Florida State dual meet. Sydney Pickrem also took home the gold medal in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley at the Texas A&M vs. University of Texas swim meet.