CANADIAN RECORD FOR KATERINE SAVARD AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

VICTORIA, CAN: (April 1, 2011) - Katerine Savard of Quebec City broke the Canadian record in the women's 100-metre butterfly on Friday at the world championship swimming trials being held at Saanich Commonwealth Place.

Savard, 17, clocked 57.97 seconds to eclipse the previous national mark of 58.67 set by Audrey Lacroix of Montreal in July 2009.  It was also the fifth fastest time in the world this year and she beat her personal best by one second.  Lacroix took the silver in 59.42 and 15-year-old Noemie Thomas of Vancouver was third in 59.73.

"I'm really proud with that performance," said Savard.  "It shows that I'm getting closer to the best in the world but I'll have to swim even faster to get in the final at the world championships."

The competition, which started Wednesday, is determining Swimming Canada's team for the 2011 FINA World Championships this summer in Shanghai, China. On Friday,  the team list grew to 28 with one day of racing left.

In the women's 100 backstroke, Julia Wilkinson of Stratford, Ont., took her third individual gold in 1:00.39 just missing the Canadian record.  Sinead Russell of Oakville, Ont., followed in 1:00.76 to also beat the world team standard.

"I know I have it in me I just have to get it together at the right time," said Wilkinson who was gunning for the national mark. "I had a great swim in the prelims and if I could have taken that energy for the final I think I could have gone under a minute."

In the men's 100 backstroke, Tobias Oriwol of Toronto added his name to the world team list winning the race in 55.06.  Matt Hawes of Ottawa and Charles Francis of Montreal tied for second at 55.10, under the qualifying standard.  A swim-off will be held Saturday between Hawes and Francis to determine who gets the second spot in the event.

"I knew it was going to be a really tight race," said Oriwol, who'll also look to add the 200 IM to his assignment list in China on Saturday.  "I just had to work on my own strategy and to be honest I'm surprised to win.  I'm glad to be on the team going to China this summer."

In the men's 100 butterfly, Joe Bartoch of London, Ont., is also headed to China after winning in 52.95.

"I like to get ahead of everybody and let them can catch me," said Bartoch, a 2008 Olympian.  "That way I'm in control.  It's great to be going to China again.  I had a great experience the first time."

Another swimmer having an impressive meet is Samantha Cheverton of Pointe-Claire, Que., who notched her second individual victory taking the 200 freestyle in 1:58.80.  Barbara Jardin of Montreal also went under the standard clocking 1:59.25.  Both had qualified Wednesday in the 400 freestyle with the same 1-2 finish.

‘'This is exactly what I wanted to this meet,'' said Cheverton, 23.  ‘'I couldn't have dreamed of having a better performance with best times and making the team.  Having made the team initially in the 400 freestyle (on Wednesday) relieved a lot of pressure for tonight. I really wanted to win so bad.''

In the men's 200 freestyle, Colin Russell of Oakville, Ont., withstood a strong challenge from Calgary's Chad Bobrosky in lane two to win in 1:49.18.  With the win, Russell gets to swim the event at worlds and Bobrosky and Blake Worsley of Victoria in third qualify for the relay..

"It's great to get that win in the 200 but I'm also pleased to see the young guys putting the heat on me," said Russell. "It took everything I had to get my hand on that wall.  I was really impressed to see Chad so close to me, I just caught him in the corner of my eye near the end the race."

Jillian Tyler of Calgary posted another personal best time to win the 50 breaststroke to cap a solid performance this week.

"I've done a lot of racing in the last month and half and to get the win and a best time is a great confidence booster," said Tyler, who won the 100 breaststroke Thursday to earn her world team nomination. "I really got some motivation going into the rest of the summer."

Warren Barnes of Toronto won the men's 50 breaststroke. The 50 breaststrokes are not team qualifying events.

"It was a great swim for me only 0.2 off my best," Barnes said.  "I really wished I could have made the world team.  Still this is a good way to head into the next part of the season."

Friday's leading results at the world championship swimming trials in Victoria:

MEN

50 breaststroke : 1. Warren Barnes, Toronto, 28.18; 2. Scott Dickens, Vancouver, 28.32; 3. Richard Funk, Edmonton, 28.57.
100 backstroke: 1. Tobias Oriwol, Toronto, 55.06; 2. Matt Hawes, Ottawa, 55.10; 3. Charles Francis, Montreal, 55.10.
100 butterfly: Joe Bartoch, London, Ont., 52.95; 2. Stefan Hirniak, Victoria, 54.20; 3. Zack Chetrat, Oakville, Ont., 54.31.
200 freestyle: 1. Colin Russell, Oakville, Ont., 1 :49.18; 2. Chad Bobrosky, Calgary, 1 :49.34; 3. Blake Worsley, Victoria, 1 :49.84.

WOMEN

50 breaststroke : 1. Jillian Tyler, Calgary, 31.60; 2. Tianna Rissling, Medicine Hat, Alta., 31.70; 3. Tera Van Beilen, Oakville, Ont., 32.01.
100 backstroke: 1. Julia Wilkinson, Stratford, Ont., 1:00.39; 2. Sinead Russell, Oakville, Ont., 1 :00.76; 3. Dominique Bouchard, North Bay, Ont., 1 :01.02.
100 butterfly: 1. Katerine Savard, Quebec City, 57.97 (Canadian record); 2. Audrey Lacroix, Montreal, 59.42; 3. Noemie Thomas, Vancouver, 59.73.
200 freestyle: 1. Samantha Cheverton, Pointe-Claire, Que., 1:58.80; 2. Barbara Jardin, Montreal, 1:59.25; 3. Brittany MacLean, Etobicoke, Ont., 1:59.44.

Canadians qualified for world championships after day two of trials

Men (12): Ryan Cochrane, Victoria; Mike Brown, Calgary; Stefan Hirniak, Victoria; Brent Hayden, Vancouver; Colin Russell, Oakville, Ont.; Dominique Massie-Martel, Pointe-Claire, Que.; Scott Dickens, Vancouver; Andrew Ford, Guelph, Ont.; Tobias Oriwol, Toronto; Joe Bartoch, London, Ont.; Chad Bobrosky, Calgary; Blake Worsley, Victoria.

Women (16): Samantha Cheverton, Pointe-Claire, Que.; Barbara Jardin, Montreal; Annamay Pierse, Vancouver; Martha McCabe, Vancouver; Audrey Lacroix, Montreal; Katerine Savard, Quebec City; Julia Wilkinson, Victoria; Victoria Poon, Montreal; Chantal VanLandeghem, Winnipeg; Brittany MacLean, Etobicoke, Ont.; Geneviève Saumur, Montreal; Jillian Tyler Calgary; Tianna Rissling, Medicine Hat, Alta.; Alexandra Komarnycky, Victoria; Stephanie Horner, Victoria; Sinead Russell, Oakville, Ont.

Full results at: https://swimming.ca/liveresults/11worldtrials/index.htm <https://swimming.ca/liveresults/11worldtrials/index.htm>