National Teams

Senior National Team

Eric Hedlin

  • Age 30
  • Height 185.42 cm / 6 ftin
  • Club UVic Pacific Coast Swimming
  • Coach Ryan Clouston
  • Previous Coaches Randy Bennett, Ron Jacks
  • Hometown San Diego, CA
  • Residence Victoria, BC
  • Event 5000 FR

National Team Highlights

EventFinalist
Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships1
Tokyo 2018 Pan Pacific Championships11

Eric’s Bio

  • Hedlin finished 16th overall in the men’s 10-kilometre marathon event.
  • Finished 31st in 10-kilometre open water marathon and 26th in the 5-km at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. He was also part of the 4×1,500 mixed relay that finished 10th, higher than Canada had ever placed before.
  • At the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships, Hedlin captured bronze in the 5-km open water race. Hedlin was also a member of the mixed 5-km relay that finished 13th.
  • At the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, Eric Hedlin captured silver in the 10-km open water race. He also finished eighth in the 1500-m freestyle.
  • Hedlin won gold in the 10-km race at the 2018 UANA Open Water Swimming Championships in the Cayman Islands.
  • Hedlin earned bronze in the 1500-m freestyle at the 2022 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials. His performance qualified him for a spot on the 2022 FINA World Championships team.
  • At the 2019 Canadian Open Water Swimming Trials, Hedlin finished third in the 10-km race, qualifying him for his fourth FINA World Championships.
  • In 2018, Hedlin won Swimming Canada’s Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year.
  • At the 2017 FINA World Championships, Hedlin finished 14th in the 5-km open water race. He was also a member of the mixed 5-km open water relay team that finished 11th.
  • At the 2017 Canadian Swimming Trials, Hedlin won the 1,500-m freestyle event under the FINA A qualifying time, but declined the spot in order to focus on open water.
  • At the 2017 U Sports Swimming Championships in Sherbrooke, QC, Hedlin brought home gold medals in the 400-m and 1,500-m freestyle events, both in personal best times.
  • He qualified for the 2017 worlds by finishing fourth in the 2016 FINA 10-km World Cup in Lac St-Jean
  • He also was selected to represent Canada at the 2017 FISU Universiade in Taipei.
  • At the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, Hedlin earned himself a ninth-place finish in the 10km open water event.
  • At the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, he finished 56th.
  • Finished 29th in the FINA World Cup race in Cozumel to qualify for the 2015 Pan Am Games and FINA World Championships. Hedlin just missed qualifying for the 1,500-m freestyle when he finished third at the World Championships Trials in Victoria, placing behind Ryan Cochrane and Will Brothers in maybe the most exciting race of the event.
  • He became the third-fastest Canadian ever in the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle at the Trials, unfortunately for him his High Performance Centre – Victoria teammates Cochrane and Brothers grabbed the two available spots on the national team.
  • Hedlin made an auspicious FINA World Championships debut in 2013 by winning a silver medal in the 5-km race in Barcelona.
  • Hedlin says staying focused is the key to open-water swimming. He also says no amount of training in the pool can prepare someone for the battle when 30 swimmers make the turn around the buoy in an open- water event.
  • Born in Calgary, and raised in San Diego, Calif., Hedlin returned to Canada after high school to further his swimming career at High Performance Centre – Victoria.
  • Away from the pool Hedlin enjoys cliff jumping.
Quick Facts
  • Twitter: @IAmEricHedlin
  • Favourite music: Electronic
  • Favourite Band: Seven Lions
  • Most embarrassing music on his iPod: Star Wars movie soundtrack
  • Favourite movie: Star Wars Rogue One
  • Favourite Book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
  • Favourite TV Show: The Office
  • Favourite Website: YouTube
  • Music Behind the Blocks: Vocal Trance
  • Pre-race meal: Spaghetti
  • Other Sports: Baseball
  • Superhero: Elon Musk

Eric’s Personal Bests

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