SWIMMING: U SPORTS All-Stars set for inaugural Canada-Britain duel
The U SPORTS Swimming All-Stars have crossed the pond and are set to take on the best of British universities at the inaugural Canada-Great Britain Dual Meet, set for Thursday and Friday in Loughborough, England. The meet marks the first time that university all-star teams from the two countries have met i
The meet will take place over the two days, with action beginning at noon Eastern (5 p.m. local time) on each day. The event will be streamed via Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/britainvscanada/.
The Canadian team was selected from among the medallists at the 2025 U SPORTS Swimming Championships and includes swimmers who are not on either of Canada’s teams for the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games or the 2025 FINA World Aquatics Championships and who did not compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“One of the driving forces behind this initiative was the desire to motivate the varsity swimmers in Canadian universities to continue their careers into the summer and to gain international experience,” said Byron MacDonald, the longtime U of T swimming head coach, and the head coach of the U SPORTS team for this event.
The UBC Thunderbirds lead the delegation with 11 swimmers (six women, five men), followed by Toronto with 10 selections. In total, 10 U SPORTS members are represented on the squad.
Tanner Cole (UBC / Edmonton, Alta.) headlines the men’s roster after winning three medals this year, including gold in the 400m individual medley. Cole continues a family legacy—his mother, Donna McGinnis, represented Canada in the same event at the 1984 Olympics and later won gold at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, while Andrew Herman(Toronto / Redondo Beach, Calif.) joins the team after an impressive four-medal haul (three silver, one bronze) at the U SPORTS Championships. Herman is the son of 1988 Olympian Mojca Cater.
On the women’s side, Raphaëlle Tremblay (Laval / Rivière-du-Loup, Que.), the U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, leads the way. Tremblay earned bronze in the 400m freestyle, competing alongside national champions and Olympians in a stacked final. Meanwhile, Olivia Brendzan (Alberta / Edmonton, Alta.) will compete alongside her twin brother, Garrett, who captured silver medals—Olivia in the women’s 400m medley and Garrett in the men’s 50m breaststroke.
MacDonald will be joined by assistant coaches Peter Carpenter (McGill) and Sarah Rudolf (UBC), while Peter Bradstreet, formerly of Brock, has been appointed team manager.
The Canada–Great Britain Dual Meet results from the collaboration between U SPORTS, its swimming coaches, British Universities and Colleges Sport, and provincial partners such as Swim Ontario, which has provided financial support for select athletes.