2025 Canadian Swimming Trials: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2025 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

Saturday, June 7 – Thursday, June 12, 2025
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria Saanich Commonwealth Place
LCM (50 meters)
World Championship Selection Criteria
Meet Central
Psych Sheets
Live Results
Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1
Finals Live Recaps: Day 1

Welcome to day 2 of the Canadian Swimming Trials. The first day of the meet lived up to the billing, seeing superstar Summer McIntosh break the World Record in the women’s 400 free. Today should see some more great racing, as we’ve got stars such as Josh Liendo, Ilya Kharun, and Kylie Masse in the action.

Day 2 Prelims Schedule:

Women’s 50 backstroke
Men’s 50 backstroke
Women’s 100 butterfly
Men’s 100 butterfly
Men’s 1500 freestyle (slow heats)
Women’s 800 freestyle (slow heats)

After winning the women’s 100 back last night in 58.18, Masse will be back in the pool competing in the 50 back today. Masse is the Canadian Record holder in the event, having set the mark of 27.13 earlier this year.

The men’s 100 fly should see a great race between Liendo and Kharun, who are the top seeds. Liendo set the Canadian Record at 49.99 last summer, while Kharun has been 50.42. Both men are coming off great college seasons in the US, and they should both have no problems finishing under the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 51.77.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
Canadian Record: 27.13 – Kylie Masse (2025)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 28.22
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 29.41

Top 8 Qualifiers:

Kylie Masse (TSC) – 27.51
Ingrid Wilm (CASC/HPCVN) – 28.15
Taylor Ruck (KAJ) – 28.65
Madison Kryger (BROCK) – 28.73
Eloise Allen (UBCT) – 28.93
Delia Lloyd (ESWIM/OSU) – 29.00
Bridget Burton (ISC/HPCVN) – 29.02
Ashley McMillan (GO) – 29.09

Though she could have a swum a more relaxed race and been just fine, kylie Masse put up a very strong prelims performance, clocking a 27.51 to earn the top seed for tonight’s final. Masse has really been on fire in the 50 back this year. So far in 2025, Masse has been 27.13 (Canadian Record), 27.42, 27.47, 27.48, 27.53, and 27.64 in the 50 back, along with the 27.51 she went this morning. That level of consistency bodes extremely well for her as she heads towards the World Championships.

Behind Masse, Ingrid Wilm had a very nice morning swim, clocking a 28.15 for 2nd. Wilm has already been 27.65 this year, which she swam back in March, so we can reasonably expect to see a faster swim out of her tonight.

Taylor Ruck put up a 28.65 for 3rd this morning. Ruck holds a season best of 28.36, so she has her work cut out for her in tonight’s final. That being said, Ruck managed to earn 2nd in the 100 back at last night’s finals over Wilm and she was only 0.10 seconds slower than Wilm on the first 50 of that race, so there’s a chance she could pull it off.

Junior swimmer Madison Kryger had a great swim this morning, popping a 28.73 for 4th. Eloise Allen was also under 29 seconds, swimming a 28.93 for 5th.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2023)
Canadian Record: 24.90 – Javier Acevedo (2023)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 25.11
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 26.08

Top 8 Qualifiers:

Blake Tierney (GOLD/HPCVN) – 25.48
Benjamin Winterborn (UT/HPCON) – 25.50
Parker Deshayes (CASC) – 25.57 (TIE)
Finlay Knox (MAVS/HPCVN) – 25.57 (TIE)
Cole Pratt (CASC/HPCVN) – 25.68
Loic Courville Fortin (CAMO) – 25.75
Patrick Groters (GIANT) – 25.87
Andrew Herman (TSC) – 26.23

Blake Tierney led the charge in what was a very tight field for the men’s 50 back this morning. Tierney finished in 25.48, beating out Benjamin Winterborn by 0.02 seconds. Importantly, the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard is 25.11, so they’ll need someone to step up and go quite a bit faster tonight to get under that mark.

Parker Deshayes and Finlay Knox tied for 3rd this morning with a time of 25.57. Cole Pratt made it into this final as well, clocking a 25.68.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

World Record: 54.60 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2025)
Canadian Record: 55.59 – Maggie MacNeil (2021)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 58.33
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 1:00.82

Top 8 Qualifiers:

Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAMO) – 58.40
Ella Jansen (ESWIM) – 59.22
Matea Gigovic (KSC) – 59.34
Brooklyn Douthwright (CNBO) – 59.58
Clare Watson (UNCAN) – 59.97
Ashlyn Massey (PCSC) – 1:00.09
Kamryn Cannings (UCSC) – 1:00.16
Leila Fack (OS) – 1:00.26
Katie Forrester (MAC) – 1:00.69
Penny Oleksiak (TSC) – 1:00.76

Mary-Sophie Harvey looked like the clear favorite in the women’s 100 fly this morning, putting up a 58.40, which was just off the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 58.33.

Ella Jansen was the next-fastest this morning, swimming a 59.22.

Junior swimmer Matea Gigovic will be one to keep an eye on in the final tonight, as she was out the fastest on the first 50 this morning. Gigovic swam a 27.48 on the opening 50 of the race this morning, which was the fastest split by a considerable margin. She tightened up on the back half of the race, however, if she’s able to go out fast again and hold on longer tonight, she could be right there in contention.

Brooklyn Douthwright was out fast as well, splitting 27.71 on the first 50. She wound up finishing in 59.58 so, like Gigovic, she struggled getting home a little bit.

Clare Watson was also under 1:00 this morning, swimming a 59.97.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
Canadian Record: 49.99 – Josh Liendo (2024)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 51.77
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 53.73

Top 8 Qualifiers:

Josh Liendo (NYAC) – 51.25
Ilya Kharun (UNCAN) – 51.27
*Martin Espernberger* (AUT) – 51.81
Patrick Hussey (PCSC) – 52.38
Eric Ginzburg (RAMAC) – 53.13
Filip Senc-Samardzic (TSC) – 53.14
Kent Goni Avila (RAMAC) – 53.63
*Ali Sayed* (CAMO) – 53.86
Nicholas Duncan (UCSC) – 53.91
Benjamin Loewen (CREST) – 54.01

The battle between Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun has set itself up for tonight. The duo were nearly identical this morning, as Liendo swam a 51.25 and Kharun was 51.27. The swim marks Liendo’s first LCM 100 fly of the year, while Kharun has already been 50.42 this year.

Of note, Kharun was out faster, splitting 24.20 on the opening 50 to Liendo’s 24.56. We can expect Liendo to be out faster tonight than he was this morning.

Austrian Martin Espernberger came in 3rd this morning with a 51.81. As a foreign swimmer, he won’t be able to compete in the ‘A’ final tonight, but he had a great swim this morning. Ali Sayed competes for Qatar internationally, so he is also marked as a foreign swimmer for this meet and won’t be in the ‘A’ final either.