VICTORIA – After being disappointed with her performance earlier this week, Hilary Caldwell of White Rock, B.C., scored an upset win in the 200-metre backstroke to highlight Friday’s finals at the Swimming Canada World Championships Trials.
Caldwell and double Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane of Victoria were among five new names added to Team Canada for the FINA World Championships July 19 to August 4 in Barcelona. The total is now 29 team members with one day of competition remaining at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
In the women’s 200-m backstroke final, Caldwell took charge with a sparkling second turn and finished in 2:09.31 to take the world team spot in the event. Geneviève Cantin of Ste-Foy, Que., slipped into second in 2:11.45 and Canadian record holder Sinead Russell of Burlington, Ont., the leader at the halfway mark, was third in 2:11.52.
‘’I felt a lot of pressure tonight to get on the team,’’ said Caldwell, also celebrating her first career national win. ‘’I was hoping to get this done in the 100 backstroke (on Wednesday). I’m excited to be going to the worlds and my goal there is to do a lot better than at the Olympics.’’
Cochrane appeared at the top of his game cruising to an easy win in the men’s 400-m freestyle in 3:47.08.
‘’I was hoping to go faster but it’s a super encouraging time,’’ said Cochrane, whose time was the fourth fastest in the world this year.
Two young Canadians qualified for the national team in the women’s 100-m butterfly. Canadian record holder Katerine Savard of Quebec City was the victor in 58.06 and Noemie Thomas of Vancouver followed in 58.31. It’s a first event for Thomas, 17, and a second for Savard, 20, who also made the cut in the 200-m butterfly on Wednesday.
Savannah King of Vancouver also qualified for a second event winning the women’s 400-m freestyle.
On the men’s side, Russell Wood of Calgary and Coleman Allen of Vancouver added their names to the national squad with victories in the 200-m backstroke and 100-m butterfly.
Also contested were the men’s and women’s 50-m breaststroke which are not qualifying events. Guest competitor Fiona Doyle of Ireland finished ahead of Tera Van Beilen of Oakville, Ont., in second in the women’s race and Jason Block of Calgary was the men’s winner.
Competition ends Saturday with preliminaries at 10 a.m., and finals and 6 p.m. at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Team selection so far:
Barbara Jardin, Montreal, 200 FR, 1:58.25
Sinead Russell, Burlington, Ont., 100 BK 1:00.12
Kristina Steins, Burlington, Ont., 100 BK, 1:00.85
Audrey Lacroix, Pont-Rouge, Que., 200 FL, 2:07.89
Savard Katerine, Pont-Rouge, Que., 200 FL, 2:08.34; 100 FL, 58.06
Samantha Cheverton, Pointe-Claire, Que., 200 FR, 1:58.80; 100 FR, 55.67
Brittany MacLean, Etobicoke, Ont., 200 FR, 1:59.53
Savannah King, Vancouver, 200 FR, 2:00.34; 400 FR, 4:20.24
Blake Worsley, Victoria, 200 FR, 1:48.80
Charles Francis, Montreal, 100 BK, 55.34
Zack Chetrat, Toronto, 200 FL, 1:58.01
Alec Page, Victoria, 200 FR, 1:49.36; 400 IM, 4:18.06
Aly Abdel-Khalik, Etobicoke, Ont., 200 FR, 1:49.59
Hassaan Abdel-Khalik, Etobicoke, Ont., 200 FR, 1:49.84; 100 FR, 50.57
Tera Van Beilen, Oakville, Ont., 100 BR, 1:08.15
Alexa Komarnycky, Victoria, 400 IM, 4:41.65
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson, Ottawa, 400 IM, 4:42.71
Victoria Poon, Montreal, 100 FR, 55.31
Sandrine Mainville, Montreal, 100 FR, 55.32
Chantal van Landeghem, Winnipeg, 100 FR, 55.35
Joel Greenshields, Calgary, 100 FR, 50.36
Richard Funk, Edmonton, 100 BR, 1:00.87
Tommy Gossland, Vancouver, 100 FR, 50.50
Luke Peddie, Vancouver, 100 FR, 50.62
Ryan Cochrane, Victoria, 400 FR, 3:47.08
Noemie Thomas, Vancouver, 100 FL, 58.31
Hilary Caldwell, White Rock, B.C., 200 BK, 2:09.31
Coleman Allen, Vancouver, 100 FL, 53.57
Russell Wood, Calgary, 200 BK, 2:01.01