MacLean breaks Cdn record at swimming trials
Posted March 27, 2012 9:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL — Toronto’s Brittany MacLean lowered one of the longest standing national records in the books, winning the women’s 400-metre freestyle Tuesday to open the Canadian Olympic swimming trials.
MacLean finished in four minutes 6.08 seconds to lower the previous mark of 4:07.32 set by Brittany Reimer of Vancouver at the 2005 world championships in Montreal.
“I’m so excited,” said MacLean after embracing her sister Heather, who is also an Olympic team contender and a fellow clubmate at Etobicoke Swimming. “It wasn’t only for me but all my family here. I’ve looked up to my sister my whole life.”
Savannah King of Vancouver also went under the Olympic qualifying standard in 4:07.02.
MacLean and King were among six swimmers to earn their nominations to Canada’s 2012 Olympic team on the first night of finals. The others were Scott Dickens of Burlington, Ont., Alec Page and Blake Worsley, both of Victoria and Katerine Savard of Quebec City.
In the men’s 100 breaststroke, Dickens neared his Canadian mark for the second time Tuesday winning the final in 1:00.43 after going 1:00.39 in the prelims. Dickens was on the 2004 Olympic team but suffered a crushing disappointment when he fell short in 2008 as the number-one seed.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Dickens said. “This meet was all about getting the job done and getting on the team. This year was about swimming smart. Doing what I needed to do compete with the world in London. We broke down everything in my training and took a risk. It was really scary at the start but it paid off.”
The biggest cheer of the night was in the women’s 100 butterfly as Savard, 18, took the gold in 58.45 edging MacKenzie Downing of Whitehorse (58.86).
“It was an incredible experience,” said Savard, who holds the Canadian record in the event at 57.80 set last fall. “I was a little disappointed with the time but it’s only going to make me work harder heading towards the Games.”
In the men’s 400 individual medley, 18-year-old Page made his move on the second length of the breaststroke and powered to the finish in 4:17.78. Andrew Ford of Guelph, Ont., was second in 4:23.22.
“I’ve really worked hard on back and breaststroke and it seems to have paid off because I didn’t lose any ground on either,” said Page. “On the last length I felt pain but we train for that so it just goes out of your mind.”
The closest race was the men’s 200 freestyle as Worsley took top spot in 1:49.06. Chad Bobrosky of Calgary, Hassaan Abdel-Khalik and Tobias Oriwol of Toronto and Stefan Hirniak of Victoria were all within a second of the victor.
“It’s a high pressure situation and keeping my calm was the key,” said Worsley, who led at every split. “You have to work with whatever is happening throughout the race. I’ve wanted to go to the Olympics since I was a little kid and I’m excited to see what I can do there this summer.”
Competition runs until Sunday at the Olympic Park Sport Centre.
