Canada's swim trials shift to Toronto from Montreal because of fire, pool closure

Summer McIntosh of Canada swims on her way to winning the women’s 400m freestyle at the FINA Swimming World Cup meet in Toronto on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Canada's Olympic and Paralympic swim trials have been moved from Montreal to Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO - Canada's Olympic and Paralympic swim trials have been moved from Montreal to Toronto.

The trials to determine Canada's swim teams for the Paris Summer Games were scheduled to be held at Montreal's Olympic pool May 13-19.

But it was announced Wednesday the pool will be closed four-to-six months because of smoke and water damage from a March 21 fire outside Olympic Stadium.

Swimming Canada has announced Toronto's Pan Am Sports Centre will be the site of the trials on the same dates. Built for the 2015 Pan American Parapan American Games, it was also the venue for the 2016 and 2021 trials.

Swimming Canada looked at holding the trials at Montreal's Claude Robillard Sports Complex and also considered the University of Laval in Quebec City. But instead it opted for Toronto's well-tested venue.

The competition venue requires a 50-metre pool, adequate capacity for participants and spectators, and broadcast and digital streaming capabilities.

This report by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ was first published April 8, 2024.

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ. All rights reserved.