North Bay's Dominique Bouchard will go into the Canadian Olympic & Para-swimming Trials in Toronto with the second-fastest seed times in her specialties.
Bouchard needs a top-two result in the Wednesday's women's 100-metre and/or Sunday's 200-m backstroke to be part of Team Canada for the 2016 Rio Olympics in August. The 24-year-old is confident she will rise to the level of the competition awaiting her at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, where she competed twice in 2015.
“Canadian backstroke is world-class, so it's going to be very exciting to be a part of,” says Bouchard, alumna of Titans Swimming. “I've already hit the Olympic qualifying times in both the 100 and 200 backstroke, so I know I can do both times and hopefully do them again this week. People don't realize how close some races can be; it comes down to one-one hundredth sometimes. Every little bit of every little race is important, and it's important to be on the winning side. Every race will be close, and hopefully the fans get really into it.”
First up for Bouchard which shapes up as a tight 100-m backstroke against past world championships medalist Hilary Caldwell and emerging University of Toronto star Kylie Masse. The 20-year-old Masse has the fastest seed time. Caldwell and Bouchard are seeded 1-2 in the 200 back.
“Hilary and I have been going back and forth for the last four years; Kylie is an up-and-comer who came out as a star last year,” Bouchard says. “I haven't had the opportunity to be on a national team with her, but I know she's had success in CIS [Canadian Interuniversity Sport]. She is going to be be tough to beat, but hopefully I can stay there with her.
“The 200 is my better event, but Kylie and I are the only two Canadians to post a sub-minute 100-m women's backstroke in the last minute.”
Bouchard is based in Columbia, Mo., where she is close to completing a masters degree in health-care administration, with designs on attending medical school. While she's swimming for the Oakville Aquatic Club, her University of Missouri coach, John Pontz, will be alongside her on the pool deck. Bouchard is also counting on having a sizable rooting section of Toronto-area relatives.
“It's nice that they're having the Trials there,” says Bouchard, whose parents, Marise and Yvan, reside in Chelmsford, Ont. “I've had success there [her silver medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games] and it's great family will be able to see me swim.”
One twist for Bouchard and her coaches is those three-day break between her events.
“Usually there's not that great a gap between 100 and 200,” she says. “It's been interesting to figure out how to taper [reducing the intensity/length of practices] and how to rest, having the 100 so far ahead of the 200. I'll probably take part in the warmups on Friday, just to stay in the meet, Even though you're not doing the event, you feel the physical burn.”
The Canadian & Olympic Para-swimming Trials will be streamed at CBC.ca at 7 p.m. ET each night this week. The network will have TV and streaming coverage at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
