TORONTO – The University of Calgary's
Rebecca Smith has once again punched her ticket and is set to compete for Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
After seven days of competition at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials, Swimming Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee officially unveiled the star-studded roster of 29 athletes nominated to compete at the Games this summer – including now two-time Olympian Smith.
After a disappointing second day of the trials where Smith finished eighth in the women's 200 freestyle and just outside of contention for a spot on the women's 800 freestyle relay team, she managed to bounce back on day five and secure her nomination for the 400 freestyle relay after hitting the wall in 54.70.
Born in Red Deer, Alta., the freestyle specialist joined the Dinos after competing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 where she helped Canada earn its first medal of the games – a silver in the women's 400 freestyle relay. Smith has been a key contributor to Canada's relay success since her FINA World Championship debut in 2017, and she now boasts 22 relay medals from major international competitions including three golds she picked up at the 2021 World Swimming Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Before touching down in Paris however, the 24-year-old Smith will be walking the stage in UCalgary's spring convocation to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
With 23 athletes competing, the Dinos were well-represented at the trials.
Most notably, the U SPORTS Rookie of the Year
Alexanne Lepage managed to bring home the national bronze in the women's 200 breaststroke. Touching behind Toronto Swim Club's Sydney Pickrem and Manitoba's Kelsey Wog, her time of 2:25.67 was just a second and a half shy of the Olympic qualifying standard.
Lepage hit the wall fifth in the women's 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:07.59, one second over her personal best time of 1:06.58 which she set to win gold at the 9th Junior World Aquatics Championships in Netanya, Israel last summer.
Several seniors were in action throughout the week, including
Nathan Versluys, Mark and
Paul McKenzie, and the 2024 Canada West Swimmer of the Year
Stephen Calkins, who set a new lifetime best of 22.55 to touch for fifth in the men's 50 freestyle splash and dash. Calkins also picked up a ninth-place finish in the men's 100 freestyle in 49.50.
Current Dinos swimmers also had the opportunity to race against a few incoming rookies for the 2024-25 season.
Brantford Aquatic Club's Carter Scheffel set four new lifetime bests at the trials, setting himself up well to join Dinos in the fall. The 19 year old won the consolation final of the men's 200 breaststroke in 2:16.71 ahead of current Dinos swimmer
Aiden Luykenaar who touched for 16th in 2:20.47. Scheffel also asserted himself as a strong medley swimmer, touching for seventh in the 400 IM (4:25.78) and eighth in the 200 IM (2:04.62), while future Calgary teammates
Ian Cameron and
Charlie Skalenda hit the wall for 13th and 14th in the 200, respectively.
Hunter Payne, another Brantford athlete set to join the men's team in the fall, also managed four new lifetime bests at the competition and finished fourth in the junior division (13-18) of the men's 1500 freestyle with a time of 15:56.82, while Calgary native Nicholas Duncan also joining the men's roster grabbed bronze in the men's junior 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:03.61.
-UC-
