TORONTO – Brent Hayden of Mission, B.C., won the 50-m freestyle at the Olympic Swimming Trials, presented by Bell, Monday, qualifying for nomination to his fourth Olympic Games.

The 37-year-old put himself in position to be officially named to the team Thursday, which would make him Canada’s oldest Olympic swimmer of all time.

Other athletes who qualified for nomination to the Tokyo 2020 squad on night three included Finlay Knox of Okotoks, Alta., and Scarborough, Ont. native Kayla Sanchez. Meanwhile previously qualified swimmers Summer McIntosh of Toronto, Joshua Liendo of Markham, Ont., and Winnipeg’s Kelsey Wog added qualifying times in other events.

Hayden remembers the moment well, when he told his wife, Nadina, that he wanted to try to qualify for one more Olympic Games. The couple was in Lebanon in 2019, with Hayden seven years retired from swimming after his 100-m freestyle bronze from London 2012. After swimming a few times in a nearby pool at Jeita Country Club, Hayden expressed his desire in a possible comeback.

“She told me, ‘Brent, if anyone could do it, it could be you,’” Hayden said.

Hayden did it on his first try Monday, earning Bell Performance of the Day with his time of 21.82, under the Olympic standard time.

“It’s one of the greatest feelings ever,” Hayden said after the race. “I’ve never been this excited to make an Olympic team.”

Hayden and Liendo were neck and neck the entire race, but the veteran touched the wall first. It’s the culmination of a long journey.

Hayden was open about his struggles with depression and his loathing for swimming. Since he announced his comeback, Hayden rediscovered his love and passion for swimming.

“It’s a dream come true,” Hayden said. “I know that sounds cliche but I’m a four-time Olympian. I’m going to have another one on the list. I thought this list was over. It’s a great feeling.”

While Hayden didn’t know if he was going to pull off the win at Trials, his expectations are high for Tokyo.

“Getting there isn’t enough,” Hayden said. “I want to throw down a performance that I could be proud of.”

Liendo, who qualified on Saturday in the 100-m butterfly with a Canadian record, finished second behind Hayden in the 50m freestyle, under the Olympic standard in 21.90.

Liendo’s High Performance Centre – Ontario teammate Summer McIntosh continuesd her successful trials with her second win in consecutive days. No one was going to catch the 14-year-old in the women’s 800-m freestyle, which she won in 8:29:48, under the Olympic standard.

McIntosh said she trusts in her increased training over the past year and in her coaches Ben Titley and Ryan Mallette, who prepare her to be mentally ready for big races.

“It’s the same every race,” McIntosh said about her mental preparation. “Figure out my race strategy and trust in my training and coaches. Just see what I can do.”

McIntosh’s performances caught the attention of her fellow swimmers, including Hayden.

“When I was 14 years old, I was still in summer club,” Hayden said of McIntosh. “She’s going to be one of those greats. When she touches the wall, it’s like magic.”

Finlay Knox of HPC-Ontario became the latest swimmer at Trials to set a Canadian record, this time in the 200-m individual medley. He separated from his fellow swimmers and led all the way to a 1:58:07.

“I’m on the progression of getting faster,” said the 20-year-old world junior medallist. “Coming in here, being a little younger, I want to go up against the older guys and have fun. We give everyone a good race and enjoy it.”

Sydney Pickrem, also from HPC-Ontario, won the women’s 200-IM, posting a 2:09:24 to back up her provisional nomination that secured her spot heading into the event.

“It was a well-put-together race,” said the 2016 Olympic finalist and four-time world championships medallist. “There’s a lot that I know is going to come together when it comes to Tokyo.”

Wog, who won the women’s 100-m breaststroke on Sunday, finished second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:10:21, clearing the Olympic standard.

In the women’s 50-m freestyle, Kayla Sanchez set a new personal best, 24.68. As the 20-year-old was not one of the athletes provisionally nominated, it added an extra bit of pressure to perform at the Trials. With her win on Monday, she secured her spot as a qualifier for her first Olympic team.

“I did the work and knew what I needed to do in Trials,” Sanchez said. “It’s a good feeling.”

In other action Monday, Eric Brown of Pointe-Claire Swim Club won his first national championship, taking the men’s 1,500-m freestyle in 15:19.69.

A total of 184 swimmers from 65 clubs across the country are competing for spots on Team Canada for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games that are taking place July 23 – Aug. 8. The invitation-only event includes preliminary heats and finals for all events of 200 metres in distance or shorter, with timed finals being offered for distances 400 metres and longer.

Daily preliminary heats begin at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. ET. Evening finals follow beginning at 5:30 p.m.

All sessions from Swimming Canada’s flagship event are streamed in English at cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices and the free CBC Gem streaming service. Additionally, CBC Sports weekly staple ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES will provide broadcast coverage on Saturday, June 26 starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on CBC TV.

RESULTS: https://results.swimming.ca/2020_Olympic_Swimming_Trials/

NOTES: The Canadian swimming team for Tokyo 2020 will be officially announced Thursday on Swimming Canada, COC and CBC digital channels… Six swimmers were provisionally nominated by Swimming Canada’s Selection Committee earlier this year, including Kylie Masse (100m and 200m backstroke), Margaret Mac Neil (100m butterfly), Penny Oleksiak (200m freestyle), Sydney Pickrem (200m breaststroke, 200m and 400m individual medley), Taylor Ruck (100m freestyle) and Markus Thormeyer (200m backstroke).

QUALIFIED FOR NOMINATION: TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES (after Day 3 of Trials)