The Richmond Rapids will be well-represented at the 2017 Canada Summer Games thanks to strong performances at Westerns and Team B.C. Trials.
Amanda McCallum, Ethan Chan, and Matthew Crawford performed well enough to be part of the B.C. contingent heading to Winnipeg in August. This quadrennial event represents the best up-and-coming age group athletes in Canada.
McCallum was selected for the backstroke and individual medley events, while Chan will swim mid-distance freestyle races. Crawford will compete in the backstroke. Both McCallum and Chan will also swim for B.C.’s freestyle relay teams.
Six other athletes also represented the Rapids at Westerns — Samuel Pei, Eric Tong, Mathew Meuleman, Devin Meng, Christina Tan, and Ryan Murray. Of the nine nine athletes, seven qualified for ‘A’ or ‘B’ finals. McCallum reached the podium on the first and last days of competition, with a bronze each in the 200 freestyle and 200 IM events.
At Canadian World Trials, Alex Ball’s 50 freestyle performance qualified him to compete for B.C. at next month’s Arena Pro Swim Series in Santa Clara. The event is one of several major professional-level meets held in the US, with A-finals almost always containing multiple Olympic and World Championship finalists and medalists.
This particular location is special, as a spiritual successor to the historic Santa Clara International. Ball will have the privilege of walking through the storied chain-link gate mentioned in the seminal Gold in the Water by P.H. Mullen.
These Rapid swimmers now also prepare for this summer’s Junior and Senior National championships — on the road to Canada Games in August and Pan Pacific Trials next spring.
