Music: {allcanada} PIERSE, 10 CANADIAN SWIMMERS QUALIFY FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

{allcanada} PIERSE, 10 CANADIAN SWIMMERS QUALIFY FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

VICTORIA -- World record holder Annamay Pierse of Edmonton withstood a strong challenge from Martha McCabe of Vancouver on Wednesday to win the gold medal in the women's 200-metre breaststroke at the world championship swimming trials.

Both swimmers will be on the Canadian team for the FINA World Aquatic Championships this July in Shanghai. Ten Canadian swimmers in all earned a place at the tournament.

Pierse was the fastest at every split and finished in two minutes 24.18 seconds. McCabe, a world championship finalist in 2009, followed in 2:24.43 and Tera Van Beilen of Oakville, Ont., was third in 2:28.41.

"Martha is always a great competitor and it's great to be pushing each other," said the Vancouver-based Pierse, coming back from a rough 2010 season which included a bout with dengue fever after the Commonwealth Games. "It was a little harder than this morning and I'm still trying to get back into the shape. Still, it's a good swim and I know I have a lot to do to get better."

Julia Wilkinson of Stratford, Ont., broke her Canadian record in the women's 50-metre backstroke which is not a qualifying event for the world championships. Wilkinson, now based in Victoria, clocked 28.13 seconds to eclipse her previous mark of 28.47 set last summer.

"I was bit worried before the final because my prelim swim was not very good," Wilkinson said. "Plus I don't usually race well here, but I had some great support and that really helped me."

In the men's 200 breaststroke, Mike Brown of Perth, Ont., grabbed a spot on the Canadian team with a time of 2:12.39 as did Scott Dickens of Vancouver placing second in 2:13.39. Brown, a world championship silver medallist in 2005, came out of retirement this year to chase a spot on the 2012 Olympic team.

"This is the first stepping stone towards London," said Brown, now based in Calgary. "I'm really enjoying my comeback, I have a whole new appreciation for the sport."

The biggest surprise of the night was the women's 400 freestyle as Samantha Cheverton of Pointe-Claire, Que., won the gold in 4:09.67. Barbara Jardin of Montreal took the silver in 4:10.32 and Brittany MacLean of Toronto was third in 4:11.02.

In the men's 200 butterfly, Stefan Hirniak of Victoria threatened his Canadian record finishing in 1:57.42 and qualifying for the worlds championships.

In the women's 200 butterfly, Audrey Lacroix of Montreal was first in 2:08.61 and 17-year-old Katerine Savard of Quebec City also went under the qualifying standard finishing in 2:10.10.

Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane of Victoria had a spot in the team already locked up but still delivered a strong swim to win the men's 400 freestyle in 3:49.30.

"I don't think you can ever relax when you go into a competition," Cochrane said. "I really wanted to get some good times going into the summer because that's when it's really going to count."