VICTORIA – Alexa Komarnycky of Victoria made sure she made Team Canada in the women’s 400-m individual medley on Thursday with a powerful freestyle for the victory at the Swimming Canada World Championships Trials.
After 14 swimmers qualified for the Canadian team on Day 1 of the trials on Wednesday, 10 more added their names to the squad in Thursday’s finals. The FINA World Championships are July 19 to August 4 in Barcelona.
“I was heartbroken last year when I didn’t qualify for this event at the Olympic Trials,” said Komarnycky, who did earn her ticket to the London Games last year in the 800-m freestyle.
Still it wasn’t easy for Komarnycky, who received a serious challenge from 17-year-old Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson of Ottawa. Komarnycky finished in 4:41.65. Seltenreich-Hodgson took the lead in the breaststroke leg and while she couldn’t fend off Komarnycky she placed second and met the qualifying time finishing in 4:42.71 making her first senior national team.
“I knew Alexa is stronger than me in the freestyle,” said Seltenreich-Hodgson. “I just wanted to hold on as long as possible.”
Canada also assured itself world championship berths in both the men’s and women’s 4×100-m freestyle relays.
In the women’s 100-m freestyle, Victoria Poon of Montreal was the winner in 55.31 with Sandrine Mainville of Montreal second, Chantal Van Landeghem of Winnipeg third and Samantha Cheverton of Pointe-Claire, Que., fourth. Poon takes the individual spot and all four are on the 4×100-m freestyle relay.
In the men’s 100-m freestyle, Joel Greenshields of Calgary claimed gold in 50.36 with Tommy Gossland of Vancouver second, Hassaan Abdel-Khalik of Etobicoke, Ont., third and Luke Peddie of Vancouver fourth. Greenshields qualifies individually and all four are booked for the relay.
Others earning tickets for Barcelona were Tera Van Beilen of Oakville, Ont., in the women’s 100-m breaststroke, Richard Funk of Edmonton in the men’s 100-m breaststroke and Alec Page of Victoria in the men’s 400-m IM.
Abdel-Khalik, Page and Cheverton have now qualified for two events each.
Also contested were the men’s and women’s 50-m backstroke, which are not qualifying events. They were won by Charles Francis of Cowansville, Que., and Sinead Russell of Burlington, Ont., both of whom qualified in the 100-m on Wednesday.
Competition resumes Friday with preliminaries at 10 a.m., and finals and 6 p.m. at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Fans wishing to follow online can watch all sessions via live webcast here.
Live results will be posted here.
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
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
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