OTTAWA – Swimming Canada’s top 26 junior athletes are ready to represent the country at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships 2025 in Otopeni, Romania, from Tuesday through Sunday.
The team features 15 females and 11 males born between 2007 and 2011. Athletes will compete against the best junior swimmers in the world over six days of competition at the Otopeni Aquatics Complex near the Romanian capital of Bucharest.
Among the 12 returnees from last summer’s Junior Pan Pacific Championships, Madison Kryger from High Performance Centre – Ontario/Brock Niagara Aquatics, Oliver Dawson of Grand Prairie Piranhas, and Ella Cosgrove are fresh off racing for the senior national team at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Dawson arrives in Otopeni following a standout performance from the championships. Coached by his father, Alex Dawson, Oliver contributed to Canada’s bronze medal and Canadian record in the 4×100-metre mixed medley relay. He also broke the national age group record twice in the 200-m breaststroke and helped the men’s 4×100-m medley relay team lower the Canadian record twice on the final day of competition. He adds this to his accomplishments from last year’s Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Canberra, Australia, where he took home two relay silvers an individual bronze in the 100-m breaststroke.
“After the incredible time I had at worlds in Singapore, coming home with a bronze in the relay and a semifinal in an individual event, I am hoping to take what I’ve learned from worlds and apply it to world juniors,” said Dawson, 17. “I’m going to stay relaxed going into the meet and have fun when the time comes. Looking forward to contributing to the junior Canadian team’s success this week.”
Kryger, who took home a silver and bronze medal from last summer’s Junior Pan Pacs, is gearing up to represent the Maple Leaf for the second time this summer. She’s aiming for redemption after missing the semifinals in the 200-m backstroke in Singapore where she finished 19th. She will look to apply the lessons learned from her senior debut to elevate her performance in Romania.
“Racing at my first senior worlds was an incredible learning experience, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to put those lessons into action at world juniors,” said Kryger. “Swimming the 200 back on that stage taught me lessons that go far beyond one race. I’m excited to continue growing individually while contributing to strong relay performances.”
The team also features several athletes making their first appearance on the international stage, including Jaques Harrison of CREST Swimming in Toronto. Harrison qualified for his first junior national team at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials and is eager to embrace the challenge of competing against the best young swimmers in the world.
“I’m honoured to represent Canada at my first junior worlds,” said Harrison, 18. “It’s exciting that I get to race against the world’s best 18 and under athletes, chasing personal bests and supporting my teammates from across the country while proudly wearing the leaf.”The Otopeni Aquatics Complex is a purpose-built venue for elite international swimming events, with a 2,400-seat capacity. It hosted the European Junior Swimming Championships in 2022 and the European Short Course Swimming Championships in 2023.
Canada’s junior program has long been a stepping stone for future Olympians and international medallist. This year’s championships offer a valuable opportunity for the next generation to compete against the best junior swimmers in the world in a high-performance environment.