Canadian Trials: Mary-Sophie Harvey Drops Lifetime Best in 200 Breast
Mary-Sophie Harvey has devoted more training to the 200 breaststroke, an event she has only swum sparingly. The focus is paying off.
Harvey went 2:23.40 on Saturday, the first night of Bell Canadian Trials, to get the win and get to the World Championships. That started a night that ended with Summer McIntosh setting a world record in the women’s 400 freestyle.
Harvey entered with a seed time 2:24.22. The 200 freestyler and IMer cut eight tenths off that, one of three Canadians to hit the A standard for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore. Harvey had gone 2:27.67 at Canadian trials in 2023. Before that 2:24 in early April at the Speedo Canadian Open, her best time in the event had dated to 2017 when she went a 2:25.37 four days before her 18th birthday.
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Sophie Angus will get that second spot, having gone 2:24.84. That’s also a massive best time for her, more than two seconds better than the 2:27.03 from Olympic trials last year. Alexanne Lepage hit right on the A standard in 2:25.91 but won’t go.
In other action Saturday night at the Sannich Commonwealth Place in British Columbia:
Men’s 200 breaststroke
Oliver Dawson lowered his national junior record by going 2:11.25, though it falls short of the 2:10.32 needed to reach Worlds.
Dawson’s old record from last spring was 2:12.42. He is a second quicker than that over a year. He dominated the final, with Justice Migneaut second in 2:13.74. Apollo Hess was third in 2:14.26.
From the B final, Aleksas Savickas went 2:13.62.
Women’s 100 backstroke
Speaking of blasts from the past …
No, not Kylie Masse. She’s ever-present, and she’s going to Worlds again, having gone 58.18 to win the 100 back. Masse is a nine-time Worlds medalist.
But the blast was provided by Taylor Ruck, who finished second in 58.93. That is Ruck’s best time since 2019, a bunch of injuries, two Olympics and a lot of other stuff ago. Ruck is well under the A cut, and she’ll get a chance to swim high-level breaststroke internationally again with a chance to get into a final.
Ruck’s career-best time is a 58.55 from Canadian Trials in 2019. Her first 58-second swim was at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the last at Worlds in 2019. Saturday’s is the third-fastest of her career.
Ruck had only ever broken a minute twice – 59.67 at Canadian Trials in 2022 and 59.78 at Olympic Trials in 2024 – since the Tokyo Olympics. Make it three, with a sub-59 to boot.
The unlucky third place went to Ingrid Wilm, under the Worlds A cut but third in 59.26. Teen Madison Kryger was fourth.
Men’s 100 backstroke
Cole Pratt, who’s been dealing with injuries since the Tokyo Olympics, got the win in 54.27 seconds, edging training partner Blake Tierney. Tierney was slow off the start and slower than the 54.02 he did in the morning prelims. Both times are consideration cuts, shy of the auto standard of 53.94. Pratt’s win gives him priority for the men’s medley relay leg.
Third was junior swimmer Parker Deshayes in 55.23, .02 ahead of Benjamin Winterborn.
Women’s 400 freestyle
Summer McIntosh is inevitable. A 3:54.18 is the world record. Plenty more on that here.
But not to be missed, Ella Jansen scared a best time and will swim at Worlds by finishing second in 4:07.36, under the 4:10 needed to get to Singapore. Ella Cosgrove was third in 4:11.64, with Emma O’Croinin fourth in 4:14.35.
Men’s 400 freestyle
Ethan Ekk negative-split his 500 free to outlast Jordi Vilchez for the win in the men’s 400 free in 3:49.57. Ekk entered the day with a best time of 3:52.67. He was faster in the morning at 3:51.59 for the second seed, then brought it home for the win.
Vilchez pushed him ever centimeter, finishing second in 3:49.63. Eric Brown was third in 3:50.43, with Lorne Wigginton, the top seed from prelims, fourth in 3:50.84. The times are short of the Singapore auto standard of 3:48.15.
For what it’s worth, McIntosh’s world record would’ve finished fifth in the men’s race.
