Blossoming superstars ready to take centre stage at Canadian swimming trials in Victoria

Just 3 abbreviated years agone erstwhile hundreds of Canadian swimmers arrived astatine the Saanich Commonwealth Place excavation successful Victoria for nationalist trials determination were signs that Summer McIntosh, Josh Liendo and a fistful of others were connected the cusp of thing special.

Now, arsenic Canadian swimming stars hole for different trials successful Victoria, it's wide that those sparks of brilliance successful the excavation successful April 2022 person afloat developed into planetary superstars who proceed to instrumentality down records and illustration a caller people for swimming successful this country.

Throughout those trials McIntosh started signalling to the satellite she was going to beryllium a unit for the foreseeable future, winning each 4 races she entered. She hasn't stopped since past and has go a generational endowment – she is present a three-time Olympic champion, has countless abbreviated people and agelong people satellite titles and is the satellite grounds holder successful the 400m idiosyncratic medley.

Ilya Kharun wasn't adjacent astatine those trials successful Victoria 3 years agone – helium won 2 bronze medals successful Paris past summertime — and Liendo is simply a podium menace astatine each nationalist meet, having won metallic successful the 100m butterfly astatine the Games. The 2 person besides been highly palmy successful the NCAA ranks, racking up wins and medals.

And they're each conscionable getting started. McIntosh is lone 18 years old, Kharun is 19 and Liendo is 21 years old. 

WATCH | CBC Sports' The Ready Room discusses storylines from nationalist aquatics trials:

The Canadian women, who person been the backbone of the Swimming Canada programme for 3 Olympic cycles, proceed to thrive. And the men's programme is gaining traction arsenic well, with the likes of Finlay Knox and Blake Tierney besides posting internationally competitory times. 

Many proceed to telephone this the aureate procreation for Canadian swimming. This existent radical of Canada swimmers participate these trials opening Saturday successful Victoria, having won 8 medals astatine the Paris 2024 Olympics, followed by 15 medals astatine the abbreviated people satellite championships successful Budapest this past December.

Bell Canadian Swimming Trials volition stream live connected CBCSports.ca and on CBC Gem opening connected Saturday, June 7 astatine 12:30 p.m. ET, continuing done Thursday, June 12. For a afloat broadcast docket of swimming events this season, click here.

It's unthinkable to see immoderate of the results for McIntosh since she past dove into the h2o successful Victoria – her 3 golden medals successful Paris made her the archetypal Canadian to triumph 3 golden medals astatine a azygous Games. 

At her abbreviated people worlds debut successful December, McIntosh broke 3 satellite records, won 3 golden medals, 1 metallic and 1 bronze. She was named World Aquatics pistillate swimmer of the twelvemonth and besides won the Northern Star Award for apical Canadian jock of the year. She is, by galore accounts, the astir talented pistillate swimmer connected the satellite and conscionable precocious announced that aft the satellite championships this summertime she'll beryllium joining Bob Bowman, who famously coached Michael Phelps to 23 Olympic golden medals.

WATCH | Summer McIntosh's apical moments from Canadian aquatics trials:

McIntosh volition beryllium engaged successful Victoria, having entered successful 7 events including the 800-metre freestyle, 400m freestyle, 400m idiosyncratic medley, 200m idiosyncratic medley, 200m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly.

By contrast, McIntosh competed successful 4 events astatine the past Victoria trials – the astir awesome clip examination from past to present comes successful the signifier of the 400m IM, wherever McIntosh has trimmed disconnected a afloat 10 seconds from her 4:34.86 clip posted successful April 2022. She present holds the satellite grounds successful the lawsuit successful a clip of 4:24.38 posted astatine the Olympic trials 1 twelvemonth ago. 

Expect accelerated swimming from Kharun and Liendo. They some had large breakthroughs astatine the Olympics successful Paris with Kharun winning 2 bronze medals – 100m and 200m butterfly – and Liendo won metallic successful the 100m fly.

WATCH | Will Summer McIntosh interruption the 200m butterfly satellite record?

Both besides person realistic shots of making immoderate sound successful the 50m events, including the 50m escaped and 50m butterfly – the 50m changeable events are each portion of the Olympic programme for LA 2028. 

Kylie Masse is besides turning backmost time, having conscionable breached her ain 50m backstroke Canadian grounds astatine the opening of May. She is 1 of the astir decorated swimmers successful the country's history, known for her consistency and quality to scope the podium clip and clip again. Masse is entered successful the 50m and 100m backstroke arsenic good arsenic the 50m and 100m butterfly. 

Under the guidance of Swimming Canada precocious show manager John Atkinson the programme has taken connected a business-like vigor – swimmers are prepared, person plans and are executing successful the excavation similar ne'er before.

WATCH | McIntosh connected grooming with Michael Phelps' erstwhile coach:

Atkinson has stressed an athlete-first attack to their programming, empowering the swimmers to instrumentality power of their grooming program and in-competition needs. It's led to record-breaking performances implicit the past fig of years. Canadian swimmers are gathering the infinitesimal and delivering nether pressure. 

The nationalist trials connection the unsocial accidental to aquatics successful a somewhat precocious stakes situation and gain a spot connected a nationalist elder team. For many, similar Masse, McIntosh, Liendo, Harvey and different veterans of the team, determination should beryllium fewer surprises – they are each present to gain their spot connected the Canadian worlds squad and past physique toward the satellite championships successful late-July.

For others, these trials supply the accidental to breakthrough – the adjacent Oleksiak, Liendo oregon McIntosh mightiness conscionable beryllium diving into the Victoria excavation this upcoming week.

Powerhouse Para squad connected display

Spots connected Canada's Para satellite title squad volition besides beryllium connected the enactment passim trials, with a powerhouse squad of swimmers taking to the Victoria pool.

In fact, Canadian Para swimmers racked up 13 medals astatine the Paris Paralympics, including Nicolas Bennett capturing 2 golden medals and a silver. His efforts earned him a closing ceremonial flag-bearer assignment alongside Para canoeist Brianna Hennessy.

Bennett volition articulation the likes of swimming superstars Aurélie Rivard, Danielle Dorris, Sebastian Massabie and Reid Maxwell successful the excavation passim the six days of competition.

Rivard is the seasoned of the squad having competed astatine 4 Paralympics. Throughout those Games she has collected an astounding 13 medals, including six gold, 4 metallic and 3 bronze medals.

Bennett and Rivard were named Swimming Canada's Para athletes of the twelvemonth this past December.

The satellite Para swimming championships volition besides beryllium held successful Singapore, taking spot astatine the extremity of September. This marks the archetypal clip the Para satellite championships are being held successful Asia.