SWIM RECAP: Day 1 of the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games
Thanks to a personal-best time of 2:10.10, Delia Lloyd (Toronto, ON. / Ohio State) punched her ticket to the 200m backstroke final at the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games.
Lloyd placed fourth among the two semifinal heats, and will set her sights on a medal in the event final on Friday night in Berlin. One of 10 Canadians competing on opening day, Lloyd advanced to the semifinal after posting a time of 2:11.94 in the second heat earlier in the day.
Before her 200m backstroke final however, Lloyd will jump back in the pool for her 100m freestyle heat at 9:59 a.m. local time tomorrow.
The only Canadian team or individual to make one of the three finals held on opening night, the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team placed sixth with a time of 3:44.18. The quartet of Emma O’Croinin (Edmonton, Alta. / UBC), Julie Brousseau (Ottawa, ON. / Florida), Ashley McMillan (Penticton, B.C. / USC), and Julia Strojnowska (Vancouver, B.C. / Auburn) earned a spot in the final after a 3:45.24 time in the relay heat in the morning.
The Americans earned gold with a FISU-record time of 3:36.21, followed by China in second and Italy in third. Canada finished just under five seconds off the podium, finishing behind Japan and Spain.
“The 3:44 time was quite strong for us. Three of our four swam faster in the final than they did in the morning heat,” said Team Lead Martin Gingras. “I’m happy with that time for this group.”
Also making a splash on Day 1 in Berlin, Memorial Sea-Hawk Chris Weeks (St. John’s, N.L.) set a new personal best in the long-course 50m butterfly in the eighth heat with a time of 23.67. His time was fourth among the 74 competitors in the heats.
He was unable to replicate his performance in the 50m fly semifinal however, finishing 11th with a time of 23.87.
“My start was slow. I didn’t like my dive. My second 25 meters was really good in the semi though,” said Weeks. “If I started better I think I could’ve beat my time from the heat.”
Day 2 of swimming will start at 9:00 a.m. local time tomorrow at SSE Berlin, with five medals set to be handed out in the evening.