Katerine Savard to lead Canadian swim team devoid of Olympic stars into aquatics worlds

Olympians Summer McIntosh, Maggie Mac Neil, Kylie Masse and Penny Oleksiak were not part of Canada Swimming's 26-member team announced Tuesday for the Feb. 2-18 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Leading the squad is Katerine Savard, a three-time Olympian preparing for her 13th world championships.

"I'm super happy to represent Canada for another world championships," the 30-year-old said in a statement released by Swimming Canada. "Every competition is a new opportunity to test what I'm working on going towards Olympic trials [May 13-19 in Montreal]."

Doha will represent the seventh long course (50-metre) world championships for the native of Pont-Rouge, Que., who won 4x100 freestyle relay gold and 200 free relay bronze at the just-completed Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.

In July, she raced the 50 and 100m butterfly events, plus the 100 and 200 free relays, but didn't reach the medal podium at worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.

"I've been close to getting back into the top 8 from last summer," she said, "and I'm hoping I can prove to myself that I can still be one of the best butterfly swimmers in the world."

WATCH | Savard wins Pan Am Games gold in women's 4x100m freestyle relay:

Among Canada's 16 returnees from worlds, Savard is targeting a fourth Olympic appearance in Paris next summer.

"When I was young, I thought to myself, I love swimming so much that I want to stay as long as I can," she said this past summer following a training session in Montreal.

Those who have followed Savard's path through international waters have nothing but respect for her longevity and the lasting impression she's made on the Canadian swimming program.

"She has carried the ball for over a decade," CBC Sports' longtime swimming