By: Wilson Wong - Manager, Communications and Sports Information (wilson_wong_5@sfu.ca)
BURNABY, B.C. – Simon Fraser swimming star and record-setting NCAA Division II champion
Collyn Gagne will represent Canada at the 19th FINA World Championships and XXII Commonwealth Games this summer.
Gagne successfully defended his 400-meter individual medley national title Saturday at the 2022 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria. He won the long-course event in a personal best time of four minutes 17.82 seconds.
Gagne was first after the opening 50 meters and didn't trail the rest of the way, winning by nearly two seconds at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
"I am very excited to represent Canada at the highest level. I look forward to competing against the best in the world," said Gagne. "Although my performance to qualify was solid, I set very high expectations for myself. My goal was to win and go under the FINA A standard, which I fell just short of. I aim to be even faster at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games."
Collyn Gagne in a post-race interview at the 2022 Canadian Swimming Trials. Photo by Kevin Light / Swimming Canada
Gagne posted personal-best times in four events at the Trials, making the A final in three. He won silver in the 200 IM (2:00.37) and was fifth in the 200 breaststroke, finishing in 2:17.91.
The
Honours Economics student from Oakville, Ont., will take part in the 400 IM at the World Championships. Gagne will swim the 200 and 400 IM races at the Commonwealth Games.
Collyn Gagne. Photo by Scott Grant / Swimming Canada
His performance at the Trials added to what has already been an outstanding 2021-22 season. In March, he won the NCAA Division II championship in the 400-yard individual medley, defeating his closest rival by nearly six seconds. Gagne's time of 3:42.49 set the NCAA DII record, topping the old mark of 3:43.84.
In total, he established the SFU record and earned All-America status in five events at the NCAA meet. He was second in 200-yard IM (1:45.03), sixth in the 200 back (1:44.90) and sixth in the 200 butterfly (1:44.99). Gagne was part of the 800 free relay team that placed sixth in 6:31.47.
Gagne also won silver in the 200 IM and bronze in the 400 IM at the US Open Championships in December.
Last week, SFU selected Gagne as the Lorne Davies Male Athlete of the Year – Individual Sport at its awards gala.
He previously represented Canada at the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy.
"It's an excellent achievement for Collyn and the SFU swim program; being part of the senior national team and maintaining a 4.0 GPA is proof that our university offers excellent support for our student-athletes to reach their full potential," said SFU head coach
Demone Tissira. "This season was notable for Collyn as he achieved much success, starting with multiple school records, NCAA champion and record holder, and SFU Male Athlete of the Year."
Two other SFU swimmers made A finals at the Trials.
In the 50 butterfly,
Amar Fejzic was eighth after completing his swim in 25.51 seconds.
Mathew Fuller was eighth in the 200 free event with a time of 1:52.62.
Collyn Gagne (left) and Demone Tissira (right) at the 2022 Canadian Swimming Trials. Photo by Kevin Light / Swimming Canada
Tissira will join Gagne at the World Championships after being named to the Canadian coaching staff. He will also be at the staging camp for the Commonwealth Games.
Tissira has coached with Canada at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships and the 2018 Senior Pan Pacific Championships.
"I'm very excited to be exposed to the high level of competition, and learn and share with the best coaches in the world. I can't wait to bring that knowledge back to our program," said Tissira, who just completed his debut season as SFU's head coach.
He and his staff guided the women's team to eighth place at the Div. II championships, the best showing of the program's NCAA era, and the men's squad to a 14th-place result.
The 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary will run from June 18 to July 3, and will feature swimming, diving, water polo, open water and artistic swimming.
The XXII Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England.
For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit
https://athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.
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