Swimming Canada has announced new plans for the upcoming Olympic quad that will culminate with the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
The organization’s new “Canadian Way” plan will see scheduling changes to certain national events, particularly pushing the annual Canadian Trials meets to a later date, five weeks out from the major international competition of the year.
That change will see the national trials meets held in June (2025, 2027, 2028) and July (2026), depending on when the taper meet is in the summer of each year, compared to the usual early April trials Swimming Canada has hosted in the past.
The 2024 Olympic Trials are tentatively scheduled for May 13-19, which, while later than in past years, will still be nearly 10 weeks before the beginning of the Paris Olympics.
Swimming Canada Trials Calendar, 2025-2028
- 2025 – June 7-12 (2025 World Aquatics Championships scheduled for July 19-26)
- 2026 – July 3-9 (2026 Pan Pacific Championships scheduled for August 12-16)
- 2027 – June 4-10 (2027 World Aquatics Championships scheduled for July 18-25)
- 2028 – June 2-8 (2028 Olympic Games scheduled for July 15-22)
The Canadian team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will run in March, will be selected based on a number of events from the summer of 2025.
This change will align with Swimming Canada with powerhouse nations such as the U.S. and Australia that have found plenty of success in hosting their national trials shortly prior to major international events.
“It is great that we have the plan to 2028 in place and we can now all work forwards,” said HPC – Vancouver head coach Scott Talbot.
“Once selection has been achieved, a real short-term focus on improving at the Games or championships can be put into place. Going into the staging camp after trials with best-on-best in camp training will enhance performance.”
Pushing back the trials to a later date will also benefit swimmers competing in the U.S. collegiate system, who have typically had a quick turnaround between the NCAA Championships and the Canadian Trials.
This year, Josh Liendo had less than a week between the two meets.
“I appreciated being consulted on the plans in advance, and talking with John (Atkinson) about the later trials,” said Liendo. “I believe this will work well for all in Canada from 2025 onwards. We can always be ready to swim fast whenever the trials are like this year and in 2024, and knowing the plan from 2025 to 2028 is exciting.”
Swimming Canada will also put in place an annual summer national short course-meter championship event.
The changes were made after the organization’s High Performance department conducted an eight-month consultation with several groups including the Athlete Advisory Council, other national team athletes, coaches of Sport Canada Athlete Assistance Program (“carded”) athletes, provincial executive directors and technical leads, high performance staff, technical experts and performance science staff.
“We have completed a full consultation process for the national events program and developed a ‘Canadian Way’ to move the program through to 2028 and beyond,” said Swimming Canada High Performance Director John Atkinson. “We are delighted to have determined this Canadian Way for the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and beyond.”
Swimming Canada noted that another change will see provinces “being able to develop a strong provincial competition network well into the summer each year,” which will replace the need for the Eastern and Western Canadian Championships after 2024.
Summer McIntosh, who broke two world records at the 2023 Canadian Trials and is quickly becoming one of the sport’s biggest stars, said she will be “ready to perform whenever the trials are placed,” but appreciates the ability to plan ahead now knowing the dates for the next quad.
“While being totally focused on the next two seasons to Paris, it is great to know Swimming Canada are planning to 2028,” McIntosh said. “When John sat down with my coach Brent and me, and he explained the plan to 2028, it was exciting to learn the details.
“Knowing the trials will be later from 2025 onwards allows us to plan ahead and it will fit what we need to do very well.”
Atkinson added that another positive aspect of having the trials at a later date will be to allow all swimmers to have a “later summer” racing opportunity, rather than having to try and peak shortly after the short course season.
“If we continue to do what we have always done we will not develop at the rate we need to,” Atkinson said. “These changes set up a Canadian model that all can buy into and work toward. It also allows each province the opportunity to make their swimming competitions more dynamic and important toward the development of a national strategy.”
Source: Swimswam