SARASOTA, Fla. – Canada’s team for this summer’s World Aquatics Championships started to take shape Friday, as Emma Finlin and Eric Brown qualified through the USA Swimming Open Water National Championships.
Brown finished 10th in the men’s 10-km and Finlin ninth in the women’s race. Their place here, in addition to their qualifying 1,500-m pool times, achieved the criteria to represent Canada at the world championships in Singapore. The selection committee will be officially ratifying selections next week.
“Nathan Benderson Park here is a great venue to host open water events. Swimming Canada would like to thank USA Swimming for allowing us to partner at their event to run our trials,” said High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson. “This year having a two-pronged strategy of 1,500-m time and open water position is something that we’re going to continue with into the future. Once the selections are ratified, we’ll have good plans in place so the swimmers can maximize their performance in Singapore.”
Brown represented Canada in open water and pool competition at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The 22-year-old Pointe-Claire Swim Club product, who trains at the University of Florida, missed his goal of making the Olympic team last year.
“I’m so happy and grateful for the opportunity,” said Brown. “I know I’ve worked hard. I fell short a little last year, but this year I’ve been working on a lot of things, mentally and physically, and I’m happy to be back.”
Australians went 1-2 in the five-lap race, with Kyle Lee winning ahead of countryman Thomas Raymond. Brown was 1:05 off the pace.
“I’ve done a lot of these races so I kind of knew how to swim it and I knew I had to be smart. I couldn’t blow my energy on the first lap or two. I was just conservative and made sure I stayed with that top group because I knew that would be enough.”
Finlin was Canada’s lone open water representative at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She found the race an adjustment after swimming mostly short-course yards in her freshman season at Ohio State University.
“I just tried to put my best race down. I haven’t done open water since the Olympics so it was definitely a change of scenery,” said the 19-year-old Edmonton Keyano Swim Club product.
“I always forget how aggressive it is the first lap, it’s kind of a wakeup call that first lap, then you kind of settle into pace.”
Open water competition at worlds is scheduled for July 14-19, followed by pool action July 26-Aug. 3.
“It’s great to have Emma and Eric qualify to swim the 10-km at the world championships in Singapore,” said Swimming Canada Distance/Open Water Coach Mark Perry. “They both have experience at this level and I look forward to working with them in the summer.”
Brinkleigh Hansen won in 2:04:09, two seconds ahead of fellow American Claire Weinstein.
The top Canadian woman was Abby Dunford. Her time of 2:05:25 was 2:16 behind Hansen, and 39 seconds faster than Finlin for eighth place.
The win represents a return to form for Dunford, who was selected to the 2023 team, but later pulled out due to a right shoulder injury. She had a full labrum repair operation last February and has been working her way back.
“I give it all to my coach, I give it all to my team. I wouldn’t be here without all my supporters, my parents. I’m just really blessed to be here and I’m excited for my future in open water and distance swimming,” said Dunford, 19, who trains with Brent Arckey at the host Sarasota Sharks. “This is just the start of my open water career and I’m excited to keep it going and start training even harder.”
Full results: https://www.usaswimming.org/event/2025/04/04/default-calendar/open-water-championships
Swimmers’ next chance to qualify for worlds will take place at the Canadian Swimming Trials June 7-12 in Victoria. Many top swimmers will be in action next week at the Speedo Canadian Open in Edmonton Thursday through Saturday.