The 2012 Canadian Masters Swimming Championship had more than 500 registered swimmers of all ability levels, from novices to Olympians. This is the first time the national championship took place in Kelowna, BC. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 93 years! Bravo to the local co-hosts: The Okanagan Masters Swim Club, The Westside Thunder Masters Swim Club and The Wine Country Masters. The meet, held May 18-21, featured a host of fast times, including two World records, and 26 Canadian records. Click here to see them all.

For race videos (and a longer video with interviews coming soon), please visit the official MSC YouTube channel

View and download photos of teams or photos of the meet in general

CMSC Media Release - Click here

(L-R) Sarah Macdonald, Andrée Brault, Lynn Yearwood, Danielle Brault ­­ Photo: Carl Dubeau

The first world record of the meet came courtesy of the Victoria Masters. Their women's 4x50m medley relay team set the new mark in a time of 2:15.36 for the 200-239 age category (calculated by adding the team members' ages together.) The team combined the talents of Lynn Yearwood (backstroke, 34.79) Danielle Brault (breaststroke, 39.25), Sarah Macdonald (butterfly, 31.24) and Andrée Brault (freestyle, 30.08.)

Macdonald, current world record-holder in the 50m butterfly in the women's 50-54 age category and top ten in the world in several sprint events, noted that "the relay records are the best, because you get to share them. The energy from everyone is infectious, especially in this case because one team member had never had a record before." She acknowledges the friendly rivalries in Masters Swimming with a laugh, "we didn't even realise we were on pace for a world record. We just wanted to beat the time posted by the Calgary Winter Club Clippers in the heat before ours!"

Danielle Brault, who is also Head Coach of the team, adds, "a club's first record is the hardest one to get; after that you just know how to put the right people together. The best thing about this one is that I got to swim it with my sister!"

Deke Botsford of the Campbell River Grey Whales continued the excitement with a blistering time of 56.78 in the 100m butterfly, a new world record in the men's 45-49 age category. He also set Canadian records in the 50m and 200m butterfly events. His 200m butterfly can be seen here.

1976 Olympian Gail Amundrud of the Calgary Winter Club Clippers was the most decorated athlete at the meet, having set national records in five individual events in the 55-59 age category and one relay. The first Canadian woman ever to have broken the one-minute barrier in the 100m freestyle, she hopes to see more national team alumni at Masters meets.

Congratulations to the winning teams! Photos: Angelique Duffield, BrightSparkMedia.ca

Division 1 Team Champions: Edmonton Masters Swim Club

Division 2 Team Champions: Penguin Masters

Division 3 Team Champions: Wine Country Masters