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CANADIAN Swimmers from Canada exceeded expectations at the Tokyo Games. And the Canadian delegation showed that the future is as bright as the present, with prolific young talents on both sides of the competition. BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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ohn Atkinson’s message of uncertainty was, in its paradoxical way, consistent. Swimming Canada’s High Performance Director was unsure what the Tokyo Olympics would bring. As one of the last major swimming nations to return to normal training schedules, the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was significant. A thrice-postponed Olympic Trials, held in late June with a diminished field at close to the last possible minute, didn’t offer much clarity. Atkinson’s comments before departing for Tokyo were rooted in the trust of his athletes, but he stopped short of setting concrete targets, tempering expectations with the reality they faced. If uncertainty was the correct term before the Olympics began, surprise wasn’t quite the right one by the end of the week at the Tokyo Aquatics Center. In most every department, Canadian swimmers exceeded expectations at the Tokyo Games, adjusted down for COVID-19 or not. The Canadians left with six medals, all on the women’s side, including a gold for Maggie MacNeil in the 100 meter butterfly. They tallied four fourth-place finishes, all in Canadian-record times, which Atkinson views as tantamount to a medal. “They just do what they need to do to regroup and refocus,” Atkinson said. “And the resilience they’ve shown over the last 17 months of the pandemic is extraordinary and something I would
commend everybody for.” The iconic shock and elation in MacNeil’s face at seeing the board after the 100 fly, having bested a field that included world record holder Sarah Sjostrom and eventual seven-time medalist Emma McKeon, perfectly encapsulates the Canadians’ Olympics. It was a performance that MacNeil knew she could do, from her dominance in college at the University of Michigan to her 2019 world championship. But after having to abruptly switch training bases during the pandemic, there were still understandable reservations until that final stroke that she would be able to deliver her best at the pivotal moment. SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY Every swimmer experienced their moments of adversity before the Games. Penny Oleksiak was out of the water for two extended stretches due to persistent back pain. Kylie Masse had to move cross-province to train at the High Performance Centre in Toronto when other pools were unavailable. Sydney Pickrem’s move to HPC Toronto involved a hasty decamping from her base in College Station, Texas, before the border closed. Yet with those toils endured, the medals flowed to the Canadian women. Masse—a leader in and out of the pool and, according to Coach Ben Titley, “possibly the greatest human being I’ve ever coached”—briefly held the Olympic record in the 100 backstroke
PICTURED ABOVE: The Canadians collected six Olympic medals, all on the women’s side, including a gold in the 100 butterfly for Maggie MacNeil, who also won silver in the 400 free relay and bronze in the medley relay. Her 55.59 in the 100 fly was the only Americas record set by a woman at the Games. [ Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro / USA Today Sports ]
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OCTOBER 2021
SWIMMINGWORLD.COM
