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Teenager Oleksiak leads HPC-ONT sprinters Saturday

Olympic and Para-swimming Trials –

By Jim Morris

TORONTO – She’s only a teenager but already Penny Oleksiak is showing a veteran’s poise at the Olympic and Para-swimming Trials, presented by RBC.

The 15-year-old from Toronto swam 54.07 seconds for the fastest qualifying time Saturday morning in the women’s 100-m freestyle.

“I’m pretty happy with it,” said Oleksiak, who already has achieved the nomination standard in the 100-m butterfly, 200-m freestyle and 4×200-m free relay. “I can’t really complain.”

Oleksiak must finish in the top two in the final and again swim under the nomination standard of 54.43 if she wants to add the 100 free to her Rio agenda. The top four could achieve relay selection.

Winnipeg’s Chantal Van Landeghem was second in 54.44, followed by Montreal’s Sandrine Mainville (54.48) and Toronto’s Michelle Williams (54.58).

All four top seeds are teammates with the High Performance Centre – Ontario, and already hold the national 4×50 free relay, and short-course 4×100 free relay records together.

Kierra Smith of Kelowna, B.C., will be looking to be nominated in her second event. Her time of 2:25.47 was the fastest in the 200-m breaststroke.

“Our thing this morning was to go out smooth, then try and race the third and fourth 50 as I would tonight,” said Smith, who already has achieved the nomination standard in the 100-m breaststroke.

“I will just try to look for a fast time tonight. That will give me confidence going into the Olympics.”

“I will just try to look for a fast time tonight. That will give me confidence going into the Olympics.” – Kierra Smith

Rachel Nicol of Lethbridge, Alta., who also achieved the standard in the 200, was second in 2:27.04.

Mack Darragh of Oakville, Ont., had the fastest Canadian time in the men’s 100-m butterfly, finishing in 53.74 seconds. Coleman Allen, who trains at the High Performance Centre – Vancouver, was next in 53.75. The event’s nomination time 52.36.

Jeremie Dezwirek led the Canadians in the men’s 200-m backstroke in one minute, 59.05 seconds. Markus Thormeyer of Markham, Ont., was next in 2:02.74.

Two-time Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane of the High Performance Centre  – Victoria swam 15:08.03 to have the fastest qualifying time in the grueling men’s 1,500-m freestyle.

The women’s 800-m final will also be held tonight. Toronto’s Olivia Anderson led Friday’s qualifying in 8:41.75. Brittany MacLean of Toronto, who already has qualified in the 400-m and 200-m freestyle, was second in 8:42.64.

In the Para-swimming events, Tammy Cunnington of Red Deer, Alta., led the qualifying in the multi-class women’s 50-m backstroke in 1:12.91. Riley McLean of Vernon, B.C., led the men’s multi-class event in 58.78 seconds.

Aurelie Rivard, the S10 swimmer from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., swam 1:12.57 to lead the multi-class women’s 100-m backstroke.

Danielle Kisser of Delta, B.C., swam 1:48.38 to break her own S6 Canadian record of 1:48.84 she set in 2013.

Nicolas-Guy Turbide, the S13 swimmer from Quebec City, led the multi-class 100-m backstroke qualifying in 1:01.17.