Latest news with #CanadianOlympic
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
McIntosh sets Canadian record in 800M freestyle
VICTORIA - Two Canadian Olympic medallists went head-to-head in a nail-biting 100-metre butterfly race, while Summer McIntosh of Toronto set a Canadian record in the 800-metre freestyle on Sunday at the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria. Ilya Kharun of Montreal and Josh Liendo of Toronto squared off in the same race that saw them share a podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Kharun won in a personal best time of 50.37 seconds, touching the wall .09 ahead of Liendo. Both were well under the AQUA A qualifying time of 51.77 for this summer's world championships in Singapore. The 20-year-old Kharun was happy with the win but sees room for improvement. 'There's definitely some tweaks I can improve on,' said Kharun. 'I know it's not perfect yet. There's some things we've got to work on.' Liendo took silver in Paris, and Kharun the bronze. It was the first time two Canadian men stood on the Olympic podium together and first double podium for Swimming Canada since 1976 (Cheryl Gibson, Becky Smith — silver and bronze 400IM). McIntosh had a sellout crowd on its feet at Saanich Commonwealth Place cheering as she swam the 800 metres in 8:05.07. That shaved almost five seconds off her own Canadian record and was the third-fastest time ever, 0.95 of a second off the world record American legend Katie Ledecky set in May. 'I'm always hoping to break records and push the boundaries of sport,' said the 18-year-old, who set a world record in the 400-metre freestyle on Saturday's opening night. 'I'm always trying to be faster and faster. That just gives me more fuel to the fire.' Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett won his second event of the trials. The S14 swimmer with the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club won the men's 200-m multi-class freestyle event in 1:54.44. He earned a silver medal in the same race at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. 'It was really good,' said the 21-year-old from nearby Parksville, B.C., who won the men's 100-m multi-class breaststroke Saturday. 'We're right where we want to be.' Kylie Masse of Lasalle, Ont., also picked up her second victory of the meet by winning the 50-m backstroke in 27.24 seconds. Ingrid Wilm of the High Performance Centre-Vancouver celebrated her 27th birthday by finishing second in 27.58. Both swimmers were under the AQUA A qualifying time of 28.22. 'I've been enjoying doing it and putting a little more focus on it this year,' Masse said about the sprint race, in which she was the 2022 world champion. 'Every little detail counts, trying to execute it perfectly. It's really fast and really hard.' Earning a spot on the world championships team helped Wilm shake off the disappointment of finishing third in the 100-back Saturday night. That meant she didn't qualify for the event for the upcoming world championships after reaching the finals at the Paris Olympics. 'I was frustrated after (Saturday) night,' said the Calgary native. 'It's to my chagrin we have such a deep field here in Canada. I relied a lot on my teammates and my coaching staff and it just once again showed me just how many people have my back.' It was a bittersweet victory for Blake Tierney in the men's 50-m backstroke. The Saskatoon native who trains at the High Performance Centre-Vancouver won the race in personal best time of 25.23 seconds. That was over the AQUA A qualifying time of 25.11 but under Swimming Canada's secondary standard of 25.36. 'A lot of work needs to be done,' said Tierney, who has been dealing with an ankle issue. 'I couldn't do a lot of kicking, so that kind of messed with the confidence. I'm just doing the best I can. I'm really thankful I made the team.' Two-time Olympian Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., also won her second race of the meet but wasn't happy with her time. Harvey, who trains with Montreal's CAMO club, won the 100-m butterfly in 58.37 seconds, over the AQUA A qualifying time of 58.33 but under Swimming Canada's secondary time of 59.91. 'I'm going to be honest,' said Harvey, who won the 200 breaststroke Saturday. 'It was good practice for my individual medley.' Montreal's Eric Brown won the 1,500-m freestyle in 15:17.54. That was over both the AQUA A time of 15:01.89 and the Swimming Canada secondary standard of 15:10.91. In other Para swimming events, Reid Maxwell, an S8 Para swimmer from the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club, won the multi-class 400-m freestyle in 4:26.66. It was the same event in which the 17-year-old won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Canadian record time. 'It was a little slower than I wanted but I can't complain,' said Maxwell. 'I gave it everything I had.' Mary Jibb, an S9 swimmer from the Pacific Sea Wolves won the multi-class 400-m freestyle in 4:52.69. Emma Van Dyk, an S14 swimmer from the Brock Niagara Aquatics, was first in the women's 200-m multi-class freestyle in 2:23.78. Aly van Wyck-Smart, an S3 swimmer from Whitby Swimming, finished second in a Canadian record time of 4:48.05. During the morning heats S4 swimmer Jordan Tucker of Royal City Aquatics set a Canadian record of 4:03.87 in the S4 category. 'I'm blown away,' said Tucker. 'I'm very surprised but very hopeful I can keep breaking records.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
McIntosh sets Canadian record in 800M freestyle
VICTORIA – Two Canadian Olympic medallists went head-to-head in a nail-biting 100-metre butterfly race, while Summer McIntosh of Toronto set a Canadian record in the 800-metre freestyle on Sunday at the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria. Ilya Kharun of Montreal and Josh Liendo of Toronto squared off in the same race that saw them share a podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Kharun won in a personal best time of 50.37 seconds, touching the wall .09 ahead of Liendo. Both were well under the AQUA A qualifying time of 51.77 for this summer's world championships in Singapore. The 20-year-old Kharun was happy with the win but sees room for improvement. 'There's definitely some tweaks I can improve on,' said Kharun. 'I know it's not perfect yet. There's some things we've got to work on.' Liendo took silver in Paris, and Kharun the bronze. It was the first time two Canadian men stood on the Olympic podium together and first double podium for Swimming Canada since 1976 (Cheryl Gibson, Becky Smith — silver and bronze 400IM). McIntosh had a sellout crowd on its feet at Saanich Commonwealth Place cheering as she swam the 800 metres in 8:05.07. That shaved almost five seconds off her own Canadian record and was the third-fastest time ever, 0.95 of a second off the world record American legend Katie Ledecky set in May. 'I'm always hoping to break records and push the boundaries of sport,' said the 18-year-old, who set a world record in the 400-metre freestyle on Saturday's opening night. 'I'm always trying to be faster and faster. That just gives me more fuel to the fire.' Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett won his second event of the trials. The S14 swimmer with the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club won the men's 200-m multi-class freestyle event in 1:54.44. He earned a silver medal in the same race at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. 'It was really good,' said the 21-year-old from nearby Parksville, B.C., who won the men's 100-m multi-class breaststroke Saturday. 'We're right where we want to be.' Kylie Masse of Lasalle, Ont., also picked up her second victory of the meet by winning the 50-m backstroke in 27.24 seconds. Ingrid Wilm of the High Performance Centre-Vancouver celebrated her 27th birthday by finishing second in 27.58. Both swimmers were under the AQUA A qualifying time of 28.22. 'I've been enjoying doing it and putting a little more focus on it this year,' Masse said about the sprint race, in which she was the 2022 world champion. 'Every little detail counts, trying to execute it perfectly. It's really fast and really hard.' Earning a spot on the world championships team helped Wilm shake off the disappointment of finishing third in the 100-back Saturday night. That meant she didn't qualify for the event for the upcoming world championships after reaching the finals at the Paris Olympics. 'I was frustrated after (Saturday) night,' said the Calgary native. 'It's to my chagrin we have such a deep field here in Canada. I relied a lot on my teammates and my coaching staff and it just once again showed me just how many people have my back.' It was a bittersweet victory for Blake Tierney in the men's 50-m backstroke. The Saskatoon native who trains at the High Performance Centre-Vancouver won the race in personal best time of 25.23 seconds. That was over the AQUA A qualifying time of 25.11 but under Swimming Canada's secondary standard of 25.36. 'A lot of work needs to be done,' said Tierney, who has been dealing with an ankle issue. 'I couldn't do a lot of kicking, so that kind of messed with the confidence. I'm just doing the best I can. I'm really thankful I made the team.' Two-time Olympian Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., also won her second race of the meet but wasn't happy with her time. Harvey, who trains with Montreal's CAMO club, won the 100-m butterfly in 58.37 seconds, over the AQUA A qualifying time of 58.33 but under Swimming Canada's secondary time of 59.91. 'I'm going to be honest,' said Harvey, who won the 200 breaststroke Saturday. 'It was good practice for my individual medley.' Montreal's Eric Brown won the 1,500-m freestyle in 15:17.54. That was over both the AQUA A time of 15:01.89 and the Swimming Canada secondary standard of 15:10.91. In other Para swimming events, Reid Maxwell, an S8 Para swimmer from the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club, won the multi-class 400-m freestyle in 4:26.66. It was the same event in which the 17-year-old won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Canadian record time. 'It was a little slower than I wanted but I can't complain,' said Maxwell. 'I gave it everything I had.' Mary Jibb, an S9 swimmer from the Pacific Sea Wolves won the multi-class 400-m freestyle in 4:52.69. Emma Van Dyk, an S14 swimmer from the Brock Niagara Aquatics, was first in the women's 200-m multi-class freestyle in 2:23.78. Aly van Wyck-Smart, an S3 swimmer from Whitby Swimming, finished second in a Canadian record time of 4:48.05. During the morning heats S4 swimmer Jordan Tucker of Royal City Aquatics set a Canadian record of 4:03.87 in the S4 category. 'I'm blown away,' said Tucker. 'I'm very surprised but very hopeful I can keep breaking records.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025.
Canada Standard
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Canada Standard
Roundup: Olympic champions Katzberg, Rogers dominate at Nairobi's Kip Keino Classic
NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The sixth edition of the Absa Kip Keino Classic concluded here on Saturday with Canadian Olympic champions Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers reigning supreme in the men's and women's hammer throw competitions. Elsewhere, a monumental upset occurred in the men's 100m final when Australia's Lachlan Kennedy clocked a personal best of 9.98 seconds, stunning South African sensation Bayanda Walaza and local hero Ferdinand Omanyala, the African record holder. In the field, Katzberg lived up to expectations, securing his second Kip Keino Classic gold at the sixth World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of the season. His powerful performance included a world-leading throw of 82.73m on his second attempt, showcasing strength, technique, and raw athleticism. "Kenya feels like a second home. I started off my career here and that is why I love coming back plus I also keep posting good results here," said the ecstatic Canadian who lapped the adulation from the vocal supporters enthused. In the women's hammer throw, Rogers claimed victory with a season-best throw of 77.93m, while Denmark's Katrine Koch Jacobsen and Janee Kassanavoid completed the podium with throws of 74.21m and 74.17m, respectively. In the men's javelin, Brazil's double South American champion Luiz Mauricio Da Silva upset a strong field to win with a meet record of 86.34m. The 25-year-old opened with a first-round throw of 84.54m, then achieved his lifetime best in the second round to secure gold. "It's been a great experience to come back to Kenya. This is my second time here, and I feel this was a good competition for me with solid series throws. Now, I need to prepare for this year's Tokyo Championships," said Luiz Mauricio Da Silva. Local favorite Julius Yego, champion of the 2015 Beijing worlds, finished fifth with a throw of 78.74m in the second round, just behind Curtis Thomson of the United States, who threw 78.78m to narrowly miss the podium. On the track, Norway's Amalie Iuel delivered a superb performance in the women's 400m hurdles, setting a new meet record of 54.80 seconds. Kristiina Halonen of Finland, running from lane four, clocked a personal best of 55.32 seconds for silver. Germany's Eileen Demes, with a personal best of 54.80 seconds, finished third in 55.38 seconds. The final event of the afternoon saw a surprising result in the short sprints. Pre-race hype centered on a showdown between Omanyala, a two-time winner here, and Walaza, the newly crowned Guangzhou 2025 World Relays champion. After a false start that resulted in the field receiving a green card with no penalties, Kennedy raced off the blocks to claim gold with a lifetime best, while the South African took silver in 10.03 seconds. Omanyala finished four-hundredths of a second behind for bronze, earning his fourth Kip Keino Classic medal. In the women's 100m, Maia McCoy led her Liberian compatriot Destiny Barnett-Smith to a 1-2 finish, clocking 11.21 seconds against 11.29 seconds. Egypt's Bassant Hemida took bronze in 11.49 seconds.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Marco Arop's coach hails world champion runner as 'once-in-a-lifetime athlete,' marvels at fast recovery time
Years before Marco Arop ran 800 metres to a 2023 world championship gold medal and Olympic silver the next year, he was a 400-metre sprinter and could be spotted red-lining, or pushing his body to its maximum effort, during high school workouts in Edmonton. But he had zero sense of pace. "If coach gave me three 400m [intervals] I would go all-out in the first one and struggle through the next two," Arop recalled during a break in training while preparing to race the 800 and 1,500 at Grand Slam Track this Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia. Arop would eventually understand his limits that enabled him to push through pain. Most successful track and field athletes don't shy away from the pain of training, but Arop understands the pain pushes him a step closer to his ultimate goals, according to his coach. "It means he's determined and committed to the craft, and he is not going to let anything get in his way," said Chris Woods, who has worked with Arop since becoming head track and field coach at Mississippi State University in 2019. The 26-year-old Arop can buffer lactic acid, or hurt longer and more, than anyone Woods has seen in 12 years at who began coaching at the U.S. collegiate level in 2009, has guided several track standouts, including four-time Canadian 800m champion Brandon McBride, but none like Arop. "He's a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. The way Marco can recover between fast, long and hard intervals, I've never seen anything like it," Woods told CBC Sports. "My best educated guess is it's genetics and his upbringing." To illustrate his point, Woods cited one of Arop's recent workouts at MSU. It consisted of broken runs of 700m (500/200), 600m (400/200) and 500m (300/200) that included a 48-second run in the 400. "For me, that's just another day at the track," Arop told Toronto sprinter Aaron Brown and two-time Canadian Olympic hurdler Perdita Felicien for CBC Sports' Trackside show. "This [was] the first race pace workout [I've] done this year. I'm used to seeing those times in training, but it's cool to see the reactions [from others]. "To run [one minute 41 seconds over 800 metres], and potentially faster, [I] have to be able to run fast paces on short recovery." "In the middle of that workout," Woods told CBC Sports, "he was running paces that would add up to a 1:36 800m run. In no way am I suggesting he would cover 800 in that time. It just shows how long he can hold paces such as that with minimal rest." Talk of David Rudisha's seemingly untouchable 1:40.91 world record only grew louder when Arop ran a 1:41.20 personal best in the Olympic final last Aug. 10 to finish 1-100th of a second behind Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi in Paris. "It's been a goal of mine since I started running. That was the first race I watched before I did my first high school 800," Arop told Brown and Felicien. "Watching David Rudisha run that world record inspired me to get to that level. Now that I'm knocking on the door, it's really cool and a testament to all the work that's been put in. I got to give a lot of credit to my coaches because without their belief, I don't think I would be near where I am now. "To get to 1:39," continued Arop, "that's going to be another level, so that's the next step."In Philadelphia, Arop will aim for his first Slam title in three attempts after his combined point totals from the 800 and 1,500 placed him second in the short distance group in Jamaica last month and Miami on May 3. After racing the 1,500 first at those events, the 800 will be contested first on Saturday at 4:57 p.m. ET, followed by the 1,500 Sunday at 5:01 p.m. "That will be a new experience," said Arop, who has raced on back-to-back days in his career but not in different distances. "I'm confident in my ability to race the 800 with fatigue in my legs. I'm not sure what the 1,500 is going to feel like [fatigue-wise]." Arop, who is using the Slam competitions as training for various aspects of his races, believes racing the 1,500 helps him stay consistent and deliver better finishes in the 800. "I'm probably the strongest I've been [in my career]. My early [season] fitness is the best I've seen and [I'm] touching on the speed work now [in training] so I'm excited where it's going to take me," he said. Added Woods: "Running the 1,500, in theory, will make him a more well-rounded middle-distance athlete. By the end of the season, I believe fans will see a middle-distance athlete that's in the lower 1:40s in the 800m and the lower 3:30s, if not 3:20s, in the 1,500. "He'll be a very dangerous runner when that happens." The final stop of the Grand Slam Track season is June 27-29 in Los Angeles. Arop will race there before joining the Diamond League professional track and field circuit. He is scheduled to race in Monaco (July 11) London (July 19) and possibly Lausanne, Switzerland (Aug. 20).
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canada's Adam Fantilli Sets Sights On The Olympics: 'Maybe Not Next Year But Five Years From Now'
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Adam Fantilli's goals for international hockey go far beyond just the 2025 IIHF men's World Championship. Fantilli took a big step in his sophomore season as he became a 30-goal scorer for the first time in his NHL career and helped the Columbus Blue Jackets resurge from the bottom of the league to nearly making the playoffs. The 20-year-old seems to be just as good as advertised, and he now looks to take another step in his career by playing for Team Canada at the World Championship. Given the talent that comes out of Canada, making the 2026 Canadian Olympic team may be a challenge for Fantilli, but he has his sights set on playing at the Winter Games one day. He views the World Championship as a stepping stone for his overall future with the Canadian national team. 'Every time I get a chance, I want to be able to represent my country,' Fantilli said Tuesday. 'It's something I take a lot of pride in. With the Olympics coming up, obviously that's something I want to be a part of, maybe not next year but five years from now. That's been a goal of mine for a long time. I grew up watching guys play in these tournaments, so I want to be one of those guys at some point, too.' While the center anticipated enjoying this tournament in Stockholm, Sweden, there was one thing that surprised him – and everybody, for that matter. Some of Canada's best and most legendary players came to play at the World Championship, such as Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury's Last Dance Begins With A Masterclass In Net For Canada At World Championship At 40 years old, Marc-André Fleury still knows how to put on a show. Being a part of this star-studded roster has been a worthwhile learning experience for Fantilli, who also gets to play with his hockey idol, MacKinnon. 'When I came over here, I wasn't expecting the roster that we have right now,' Fantilli said. 'A lot of those guys are leaders on their team and leaders among the top point-getters in the NHL. It's great to learn from those guys. 'Nate (MacKinnon) is a guy that I grew up wanting to be like and wanting to emulate. Sid (Crosby) is a player who every young Canadian loves, so it's really cool to have both those guys on the same team.' Austria-Slovakia Shootout Ends in Controversy Austria and Slovakia were tied 2-2 after 65 minutes of hockey, meaning their IIHF World Championship Group A game had to be decided in a shootout. There is a new generation of young and hungry Canadian hockey players who are ready to take on the torch of representing Canada on an international stage. Fantilli is one of the players at the top of that list, and he's joined in Sweden by a couple of others, including NHLers Macklin Celebrini and Kent Johnson. 'We're all learning together. We're on the same team right now, which is great,' Fantilli said. 'It's made for a pretty good team on the ice, too, and it's awesome.' Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
