orangeman

My Spanish tutor is Ecuadorian, so we will surely have a nice chat about this next lesson.

FIRST GOLD TO CANADA!

Don't worry, breakdancing will be gone in LA. Instead we'll get......flag football....

No.

Great to hear the supporters for Dunfee in the crowd!

Into first!

Prove me wrong Evan! Prove me wrong!

Dunfee is going to get 4th, isn't he?

I didn't realize this was part of the programme. I got REALLY into disc golf during the pandemic, although I played before. I still enjoying playing, but I only get the chance when I visit Canada in the summer. I never got into it as a youtube spectator sport, but it is incredibly fun in person.

Someone run her DNA through 23 and Me, she might be part Canadian!

Sorry, that conversation was about Marie Sophie Harvey.

Unsure. She's still listed for the relay, so maybe saving herself for that.

And Olympic champs China are out (along with Australia). Real chance in the final if Liendo joins.

Those are rookie numbers. Sincerely, Canada

MSH out of the 400 IM now.

Jankovics does not start the 400 IM.

Summer

Yeah, the coaches need to think if it's a good idea. They'll also both have the medley relay tomorrow (at least the finals, hopefully). For Ruck, I say go for it. She's not pushing to medal in the 50 free or medley relay, most likely. It's sort of both or nothing, maybe. It's like the mixed medley, strong teams are out and the field is very close. But it's not an Olympic event, so who knows. Damn, we need Penny!

Canada sneaks into the final of the mixed relay by 0.02 seconds. It was really close all around (besides the USA). 0.75 separated 2nd to 9th. Wonder if they go for it with Ruck and (probably not) Liendo. Aus, GB, Hungary, China and Sweden out.

I feel like history is unkind to you if you've never won an Olympic gold. But I also think it'll depend on where Canada's swimming goes from here. If 2016-2024? ends up being the Golden Age, she'll be a huge part of that. But being around with Penny, and then Summer, she's definitely overshadowed overall (not to mention Maggie). If Canada continues to develop its young swimmers, she may be lost. Which is unfortunate. Her performance in Rio was great, but if she was just a year ahead of her development, she probably would have gotten gold (and maybe a medal in the medley relay). Like I said, just unlucky timing.

For "fun" I decided to look up Masse's placements at the last two full World Championships as well as the last Olympics. Including relays, she has six 4th places finishes and two 5ths. In that time she has 3 bronzes. This is not a knock at all to Kylie. It just sucks that right when she came into her prime two of the best backstrokers ever emerged, too. Kylie broke the super-suited 100m WR that stood for 8 years, and only a year later someone else broke it. Even though she's gone faster since then, and is the 3rd fastest competitor ever, her time is 25th on the list. McKeown and Smith hold all 24 times ahead of hers. It's sort of like the Locke/Phelps situation. If Phelps wasn't around, Locke would have been the best swimmer in the world at that time, but was completely overshadowed. Masse was just unlucky to be the best backstroker to come in a decade, just as two better ones also came onto the scene. And then there always seems to be one more at each distance that jumps ahead for one championship. Can't really blame the relays on her, as she's consistently the strongest part of the ones she participates in. I just can't see her take another 4th. The medley relay either needs to medal or crash out.

I don't know what the answer is with Liendo, but he didn't look good in the 50 butterfly or the 100 free, either. He's fine (not outstanding yet) in the 100 fly. On the flip side, he was outstanding in the mixed relay. I'd also add in Kharun who hasn't performed at the level many people were expecting here. They both have one more shot in the 100 fly (besides the relay). I, and many others, were expecting several medals from them together, and leaving with no individual ones would be pretty bad. It's a year after the Olympics, so fair enough, progression can still come before LA. But haven't seen it here, yet, after a very successful Paris.

Great swim by Tierney to get 4th. But man....how many 4ths?

Liendo not good at all in the 50m free, won't even come close to making the semis.