Canadian swimming is moving in numbers this summer: its federation today announced a 52-strong team for the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, later this month, after relatively modest results, by 2010 international standards (and best not look at 2009 on the clock), at nationals this past week.
At the helm is the standout hope for gold, Ryan Cochrane, in the 1,500m freestyle, while Brent Hayden, 2007 world 100m free champion, will be tough, as will Annamay Pierse, particularly if she can get back close to her shiny suit times of 2009 in rematches with two of the most consistently speedy performers of 2010, Rebecca Soni (USA) and Leisel Jones (AUS).
The release from Swim Canada talked of a successful championship. In comparison to rival nations, there is clearly work to do. Looking at two of Canada's arch rivals at Commonwealth level, Australia and Britain (which races in home nations at the Games that will this year be staged in Delhi in October) - entities that Canada has defeated in the past - the numbers each nation has so far placed in the 2010 world top 10 across all Olympic events look like this on the eve of the big long-course internationals of the summer:
Nation/men/women/total
- AUS 17 ; 31; 48
- GBR 9 ; 13; 22
- CAN 1 ; 2 ; 3
The picture will change during those big meets to come but the sums are not encouraging for Canada in terms of it fielding a strike force capable of constant challenge for podium places.
National Coach and CEO Pierre Lafontaine remains upbeat: "This is a really exciting young team and a great group of veterans who will be the back bone of this team. The great thing is that we’re surrounding the next generation of Olympians for 2012-16 with the best."
Lafontaine sees this era as one of investment in the future: "We’ve put lots of resources in building our program in last few years and it’s now showing its teeth. This new group will add a youthful energy to the senior team.”
The aim is to beat last time round at Pan Pacs, when Canada collected a total of seven medals, 2 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze.
The Canada squad:
Women:
Dominique BOUCHARD, NBYT, 19 North Bay, ON, North Bay, ON; Genevieve CANTIN, UL, 19, Québec, QC, Saguenay, QC; Samantha CHEVERTON, PCSC, 21, Pointe-Claire, QC, Pointe-Claire, QC; Melanie DODDS LOSC, 21, Maple Ridge, BC, Pointe Claire, QC; MacKenzie DOWNING,UVIC, 23, Victoria, BC, Whitehorse, YK; Tanya HUNKS, UBCD, 28, Vancouver, BC, Brantford, ON; Barbara JARDIN, CNPPO, 19, Montreal, QC, Montreal, QC; Savanah KING, UBCD, 18, Vancouver, BC, Vancouver, BC; Alexa KOMARNYCKY, IS, 20, Victoria, BC, Etobicoke, ON; Audrey LACROIX, CAMO, 25, Montreal, QC, Pont-Rouge, QC; Lauren LAVIGNA, UBCD, 21, Vancouver, BC, Burnaby, BC; Martha MCCABE, UBCD, 20 Vancouver, BC, Toronto, ON; Ashley MCGREGOR, PCSC, 17, Pointe-Claire, QC; Erica MORNINGSTAR, UCSC, 21, Calgary, AB, Calgary, AB; Katy MURDOCH, UCSC, 23, Calgary, AB, Calgary, AB; Annamay PIERSE, UBCD, 26, Vancouver, BC, Edmonton, AB; Victoria POON, CNPPO, 25, LaSalle, QC, Hong Kong, China; Hanna RIORDAN, CNPPO, 19, Cornwall, ON; Tianna RISSLING, AMA, 17, Medicine Hat, AB Medicine Hat, AB; Sinead RUSSELL, DS, 16, Oakville, ON, Burlington, ON; Chelsey SALLI, LOSC, 18 Langley, BC, Burnaby, BC; Genevieve SAUMUR, CNPPO, 22, Montreal, QC, Montreal, QC; Katerine SAVARD CSQ ,16, Pont-Rouge, QC, Pont-Rouge, QC; Lindsay SEEMANN NEW, 17, Newmarket, ON, Newmarket, ON; Jillian TYLER CASC, 21, Calgary, AB, Calgary, AB; Julia WILKINSON, IS, 23, Victoria, BC Stratford, ON; Nadine WILLIAMS STSC 17 Sherwood Park, AB Sherwood Park, AB
Men:
Hassaan ABDEL-KHALIK, ESWIM, 18, Etobicoke, ON, Cairo, Egypt; Warren BARNES, TSC, 25, Toronto, ON; Joe BARTOCH, LAC, 27, London, ON, London, ON; Zack CHETRAT, OAK, 19, Toronto, ON, London, ON; Ryan COCHRANE, IS, 20, Victoria, BC, Victoria, BC; Scott DICKENS, UBCD, 25, Vancouver, BC, Burlington, ON; Andrew FORD, GUELPH, 21, Guelph, ON, Guelph, ON; Charles FRANCIS, CNPPO, 21, Montreal, QC, Cowansville, QC; Jordan HARTNEY, UBCD, 22, Vancouver, BC, White Rock, BC; Matt HAWES, GO, 23, Ottawa, ON, Ottawa, ON; Brent HAYDEN, UBCD, 26, Vancouver, Mission, BC; Stefan HIRNIAK, IS, 25, Victoria, BC, New Jersey, NB; Richard HORTNESS, LAC, 25, London, ON, Medicine Hat, BC; Brian JOHNS, UBCD, 27, Richmond, BC, Richmond, BC; Paul KORNFELD, UCSC, 22, Calgary, AB, Houston, TX; Kier MATILAND, EKSC, 21, Edmonton, AB, Edmonton, AB; Sean NUGENT, SFA, 24, Vancouver, BC, Vancouver, BC; Tobias ORIWOL, TSC, 25, Toronto, ON, Pointe-Claire, QC; Luke PEDDIE, OSC, 17, Edmonton, AB, St-Albert, AB; Sean PENHALE, IS, 22, Victoria, BC, Victoria, BC; Colin RUSSELL, DS, 25, Toronto, ON, Burlington, ON; Nicholas SINCLAIR, PCS, 18, Victoria, BC, Victoria, BC; Matthew SWANSTON, NEW, 19, Newmarket, ON, Newmarket, ON; Jake TAPP, LOSC, 21, Langley, BC, Langley, BC; Richard WEINBERGER, PCS, 20, Victoria, BC, White Rock, BC; Karl WOLK, CASC, 18 Calgary, AB, Edmonton, AB; Blake WORSLEY, IS, 22, Victoria, BC, Denver, COL.
