Confident Canadian swim team looks to carry momentum into short course worlds

A year ago, it started becoming abundantly clear this was a special time for swimming in Canada. 

Last December in Abu Dhabi at the short course world championships, the Canadian team of 12 swimmers won 15 medals throughout the six days of competition while shattering previous records.

In fact, by the time the competition had wrapped up Canada was only behind the Americans in the medal standings. Those 15 medals, including seven gold, six silver and two bronze medals, nearly doubling the country's previous best of eight in 1999 and 2016. 

Even more impressive, the 15 medals were more than the previous eight world short course championships combined. 

The Canadian women won more medals than any other country's women swimmers. Maggie Mac Neil won five medals, including four gold. Kylie Masse became Canada's most decorated FINA swimmer while keeping her streak of winning a medal at an international meet alive for seven consecutive years and counting.

Throughout those worlds, 16 Canadian records were broken.

With a condensed competition schedule, nearly the same group of swimmers took their newfound swagger and confidence to the long course world championships this past summer in Budapest – once again they brought home a historic medal haul, winning 11 medals throughout the competition. 

It was Summer McIntosh, just 15 at the time, who emerged as a superstar during those worlds, capturing four medals including two gold. She broke four world junior records. 

This is undeniably the golden era for Canadian swimming. 

Now they want to keep that momentum and start building toward the Paris 2024 Olympics with another successful international showing in Melbourne, Australia as another short course world championships begin on