Canada Names 26 Swimmers to Roster for 2024 World Champs; No McIntosh or MacNeil

Canada has named 26 swimmers to its roster for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships to be held next February in Doha, Qatar. The Canadian roster is a mix of veterans and young swimmers getting their first chance on the big stage, though the lineup lacks many of the country’s top swimmers.

“We are pleased to announce our team for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar,” said Swimming Canada High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson. “The championships will provide a great opportunity for our selected athletes to race against some of the best athletes in the world early in the new year, and this will be positive.”

Three-time Olympian Catherine Savard leading the way. This is his 13th World Championship appearance (long course and short course combined). He is one of 16 holdovers from the 2023 World Aquatics Championships team.

The list also includes a veteran Sydney Pickrem-a four-time World Championship medalist and Olympic relay bronze medalist, and a four-time Olympic medalist Taylor Ruckwho missed the 2023 Worlds after a skateboarding injury.

Most of the chatter, however, has been about who’s not on this roster at this unusual time in the pre-Olympic season. All individual country medalists from the 2023 World Championships are absent. That includes the 200 fly and 400 IM World Champion Summer McIntosh100 fly silver medalists Maggie MacNeil and Josh Liendoand four of the six members of the bronze medal winning 400 medley relay.

In particular, Kylie Masse (a three-time World Champion backstroker), McNeil, McIntosh and Mary Sophie-Harvey is outside. Backstroker Ingrid Wilm and breaststroker Sophie Angus scheduled to attend.

Sienna Angove, Ashley McMillan (HPC Ontario/Greater Ottawa), Laila Oravsky (Barrie Trojans), Sarah Fournier (CNQ), Antoine Sauvé (CAMO), Blake Tierney (HPC-Vancouver/UBC Thunderbirds) will make their world championship debuts.

Raven Dommann (HPC Vancouver/UBC Thunderbirds), who are swimming in open water at the 2019 worlds, and Tessa Ciplucha, who has the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and two short-course worlds under his belt, will also make their debuts in the world long-course pool. Cieplucha, who has had moments worthy of the finals in the 400 IM in recent seasons, was hampered by the presence of Canadian stars McIntosh and Sydney Pickrem.

Tierney, on the other hand, said he hopes to add to his four bronze, one silver medal performance at the recent Pan American Games.

Coming off a successful Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where he won five medals (four bronze and one silver), Tierney hopes to build on his performances.

“I’m very happy and excited to be given the opportunity to represent Canada at my first world championships,” Tierney said. “I had a great time and learned a lot at the Pan Ams and can’t wait to race for Canada again.”

11 of the 26 team members listed their primary training ground as one of Canada’s National Training Centers, and four listed American coaches as their primary trainers.

Canadian Roster for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships

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