“What we feel this will give our key world performers is some certainly in a very uncertain world.” ![]() “We wanted to give the athletes that we’ve named today the certainty to target those events that they are world performers in,” Atkinson said. The move allows Canada’s top swimmers to tailor their training to swim fast in Tokyo, Swimming Canada High-Performance Director John Atkinson said. Masse was pre-selected in the 100 and 200-metre backstroke, Mac Neil in the 100-meter butterfly, Oleksiak in the 200-metre freestyle, Ruck in the 100-metre freestyle, Thormeyer in the 200-metre backstroke and Pickrem in three events: 200-metre breaststroke and individual medley, and 400-metre individual medley. It’s uncertain if the global pandemic will ease enough for Tokyo’s postponed Games to go ahead. Swimmers were expected to lead Canada’s medal charge again in 2020, but the global pandemic postponed Tokyo’s Olympic Games to July 23 to Aug. Led by 100-metre freestyle champion Oleksiak, the Canadian women’s swim team won six of Canada’s 22 medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Not normal, but this whole year hasn’t been normal.” “It is an interesting way to have been nominated. It kind of takes that pressure off having had such broken-up training times and limited competition. “Moving forward it just allows us more flexibility with our training. “I’m super-grateful and thankful to be nominated,” Masse said Friday on a media conference call. Olympic champion Oleksiak of Toronto, world backstroke champion Masse of LaSalle, Ont., world butterfly champ Margaret Mac Neil of London, Ont., Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., Sydney Pickrem of Halifax and Markus Thormeyer of Newmarket, Ont., were pre-selected in events in which they excel. ![]() Penny Oleksiak and Kylie Masse were among six swimmers named early to Canada’s Olympic team Friday.Īlso, the Olympic and Paralympic swim trials in Toronto have been delayed from April to May. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupting training and decimating the competition calendar led Swimming Canada to invoke the unforeseen circumstances clause in its selection process and nominate a half-dozen swimmers to the 2021 Tokyo Games. ![]() Strange times in sport create unorthodox decisions.
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