POINTE-CLAIRE, Que. – Ella Jansen, a member of Etobicoke Swimming, started her preparations for a busy summer with a triple medal performance on Thursday to open the 2022 Speedo Eastern Canadian Swimming Championships.

Jansen, 16, started with a victory in the senior women’s 200-m freestyle clocking one minute and 59.84 seconds, just off the time she recorded earlier this month at the national swimming team trials.

She edged her clubmate Katrina Bellio by a mere 0.01 seconds while Julie Brousseau of the Nepean-Kanata Barracudas was third in 2:01.26.

“I’m happy I got my hand on the wall first,” said Jansen, who was selected after trials to race for Canada at the Commonwealth Games and Junior Pan Pacific Championships this summer. “But it wasn’t the time I wanted. It’s good to be here and it’s good to race. The atmosphere here is fantastic.”

Jansen nearly notched a second win in the 100-m backstroke but was edged by Megan Wheeler of Nepean who clocked 1:03.37, followed by Jansen in 1:03.58 while Clarke Morrison of Newmarket was third in 1:05.46.

The other winners in the women’s senior races were Amaris Peng of London, Ont., in the 200 breast (2:36.41) and Bellio in the 800-m freestyle in 8:41.00.

Jansen and Bellio bookended Etobicoke’s win in the 4×100 freestyle relay.

On the men’s senior side, local racer Eric Brown, also preparing for the Commonwealth Games and the World Open Water Championships, showed his talents in the shorter distances with his victory in the senior 200 freestyle.

Brown finished in 1:50.86 with Artiom Volobin of Montreal’s Club CAMO second in 1:53.19 and Reid Tichy of the Richmond Hill Aquatic Club third in 1:53.97.

“It was great to break the 1:51 barrier tonight,” said Brown. “I didn’t swim the event at trials so I thought I would give it a shot here. It’s special to swim in my home pool and it’s a good way to start towards the bigger events this summer.”

Brown also anchored Pointe-Claire to victory in the men’s 4×100-m freestyle relay.

The other winners in men’s senior were Samuel Bourassa of Côte-des-Neiges in the 100 back (58.46), Brayden Taivassalo of Markham in the 200 breast (2:19.58) and Bruno Paquet of Université Laval in the 1500 free (16:47.93).

“The time is not what I wanted,” said Taivassalo, 17, tuning up for the Junior Pan Pacs. “I went a second and a half faster at trials but with two weeks between the races I’m pretty happy. Making the Pan Pacs took the pressure off, and I tend to thrive under pressure.”

The winners in women’s youth competition were Maya Bezanson of Etobicoke, Ont., in the 200-m freestyle (2:03.67), Emma McGrath of Pointe-Claire, Que., in the 100-m backstroke (1:04.88), Laila Oravsky of Barrie, Ont., in the 200-m breaststroke (2:37.47), Sylvia Statkevisius of Etobicoke in the 800 free (9:01.43).

The winners in men’s youth were Antoine Sauvé of Côte-des-Neiges in the 200 free (1:56.16), Alexandar Lackovic of Windsor, Ont., in the 100 back (59.19), Sinan Onur of Pointe-Claire in the 200 breast (2:24.09) and Brian Dietz of Etobicoke in the 1500 free (16:51.63).

More than 700 athletes from 110 clubs are here this week at the meet which runs through to Sunday at the Pointe-Claire Aquatic Centre.

For more information: 2022 Speedo Eastern Championships – Swimming Canada