Swim worlds: Kazan will be ‘more competitive’, racing begins Sunday
The biggest swim meet outside of the Olympic Games begins this Sunday and runs for eight days in Kazan, Russia (schedule below).
FINA World Championships is every (odd-numbered) two years, and the elite come ready to swim. Worlds occurs either the season after an Olympics, or the year before; the latter of which Ryan Cochrane calls ‘more competitive’ and ‘more exciting’ because swimmers (and other aquatic sports) are trying to show what they’ve got.
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Ryan Cochrane won the first of his three-straight 1500m world championships’ silver medals at Rome in 2009.
And he would know. Kazan will be his fifth World Championships. Cochrane has three-straight silver medals (2009, 2011, 2013) in his signature event, the 1500m freestyle, “It’s a progression that’s taken 10 years to try to get to this international podium and stand on top of it,” said Cochrane this week from Russia. The 26-year-old has won Commonwealth, Pan Am, and Pan Pacific gold medals, but lacks a Worlds or Olympic title. “I’ve been able to do it at some competitions but when it really counts I’m still working at that,” he said.
Cochrane, a two-time Olympic medallist will swim the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle in Kazan.
“It’s something I focus on pretty much non-stop” – Ryan Cochrane on winning
Chantal Van Landeghem is Canada’s sprint freestyle queen, having set the 100m national record at Pan Ams (to go with her 50m mark), and is entering her third World Champs. Therefore, at 21-years of age she has the unique combination of experience and bright potential.
Chantal Van Landeghem celebrates her 100m freestyle victory at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.
“The next step for me is trying to make finals,” said Van Landeghem, who has the world’s 16th-fastest time in the 50m and 100m freestyle since the start of 2014, “Which is not going to be easy, it’s going to take best times on my end,” said the Winnipegger, who won gold at TO2015 and is an example of just how deep the field becomes at worlds.
In Kazan there are 16 women including worlds bronze-medallists Martha McCabe (200m BR 2011) and Hilary Caldwell (200m BK 2013), plus eight men.
Day-by-day entries (relay-only swimmers not listed):
Day 1 – Sunday, August 1
Emily Overholt won the 400m freestyle at TO2015.
Women’s 100m butterfly – Katerine Savard, Noemie Thomas
Men’s 400m freestyle – Ryan Cochrane, Jeremy Bagshaw
Women’s 200m I.M. – Sydney Pickrem
Men’s 50m butterfly – Santo Condorelli
Women’s 400m freestyle – Emily Overholt
Men’s 100m breaststroke – Richard Funk
Men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay
Day 2 – Monday, August 2
Women’s 100m backstroke – Dominique Bouchard, Hilary Caldwell
Men’s 100m backstroke – Russell Wood
Women’s 100m breaststroke – Rachel Nicol, Kierra Smith
Men’s 200m freestyle – Jeremy Bagshaw
Women’s 1500m freestyle: No Canadians entered
Day 3 – Tuesday, August 3
Ryan Cochrane smiles after receiving his Pan Am gold medal in the 400m freestyle, he also won the 1500m freestyle.
Men’s 50m breaststroke – Richard Funk
Women’s 200m freestyle – Emily Overholt, Katerine Savard
Men’s 200m butterfly – No Canadians entered
Men’s 800m freestyle – Ryan Cochrane
Day 4 – Wednesday, August 4
Santo Condorelli during the men’s 100m freestyle at the Pan Am Games. He won four swimming medals at TO2015.
Women’s 50m backstroke – Dominique Bouchard
Men’s 100m freestyle – Santo Condorelli, Yuri Kisil
Women’s 200m butterfly – Audrey Lacroix, Katerine Savard
Men’s 200m I.M. – No Canadians entered
Mixed 4x100m medley relay
Day 5 – Thursday, August 5th
Winnipeg’s Chantal Van Landeghem before the 100m freestyle final. She won gold.
Women’s 100m freestyle – Chantal Van Landeghem, Michelle Williams
Men’s 200m backstroke – Russell Wood
Women’s 200m breaststroke – Martha McCabe, Kierra Smith
Men’s 200m breaststroke – Richard Funk
Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay
Day 6 – Friday, August 6th
Hilary Caldwell (right) and Dominique Bouchard (left) take gold and silver in the 200m Backstroke at TO2015.
Men’s 50m freestyle – Karl Krug
Women’s 50m butterfly – Noemie Thomas, Katerine Savard
Men’s 100m butterfly – Santo Condorelli
Women’s 200m backstroke – Dominique Bouchard, Hilary Caldwell
Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay
Women’s 800m freestyle – No Canadians entered
Day 7 – Saturday, August 7th
Ryan Cochrane smiles after winning Pan Am gold in the 1500m freestyle.
Women’s 50m freestyle – Chantal Van Landeghem, Michelle Williams
Men’s 50m backstroke – Russell Wood
Women’s 50m breaststroke – Rachel Nicol
Mixed 4x100m freestyle relay
Men’s 1500m freestyle – Ryan Cochrane
Day 8 – Sunday, August 8th
Emily Overholt will get another shot at the Canadian record, which was erased by a DQ at TO2015.
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Women’s 400 I.M. – Emily Overholt, Sydney Pickrem
Men’s 400 I.M. – No Canadians entered
Women’s and Men’s 4x100m medley relay
