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“Things have been shifting constantly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we realize how tough it has been for our athletes,” said John Atkinson, who is Swimming Canada’s high performance director and national coach, said in a release. “Provisionally nominating these six athletes allows them, as our top-ranked known performers who have had international success at the world level, to have some certainty as we approach being ready to swim at the Games in the summer of 2021. We are delighted to announce the six athletes provisionally nominated (Friday). These athletes have proved themselves and we congratulate them on this significant step toward the Tokyo Games.”
All six athletes were medallists or Canada’s top placing individual finalists in their respective events at the 2019 FINA World Championships, where Team Canada swam to eight podium finishes, which was a best-ever performance for the country.
Masse, who is a Windsor Essex Swim Team product, won gold in the 100-metre backstroke at the 2019 World Championships as well as a bronze in the 200-metre backstroke and was part of Canada’s bronze-medal winning 4×100-metre medley relay team.
“I’m grateful that Swimming Canada and the COC have provisionally nominated me,” said Masse, who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in the 100-mtre backstroke. “I can’t wait to continue to work towards Tokyo to represent Canada.”
The Olympic and Paralympic Swimming Trials had been set for April 7-11, but have since been rescheduled to May 24-28 in Toronto due to the pandemic. Other athletes will still have the opportunity to qualify, but Friday’s six nominees provide some certainty in uncertain time for those elite swimmers.
“The pandemic continues to dictate some of our decisions, and limit what we can and can’t do,” Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi said in a release. “While we want to keep as many options open as possible, we have to adapt to the constraints that are thrust upon us by the pandemic.
“What is being presented (Friday) allows us to have more options in an uncertain situation. It gives us greater ability to nominate the best teams to represent Canada, and it gives the athletes greater ability to train and compete to make Team Canada.”
jpparker@postmedia.com
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