2025 Canadian Swimming Trials

Newmarket Stingrays at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials

The 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials, held last week in Victoria, British Columbia, brought together many of the top swimmers in the country. Over six days of competition, 787 athletes representing 148 clubs from nine provinces competed for the chance to represent Canada at several upcoming international events. The meet served as the official selection opportunity for four major competitions this summer:

World Aquatics Championships in Singapore
2025 FISU Games (Summer Universiade) in Berlin, Germany
World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania
World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore

Among the many strong clubs represented, the Newmarket Stingrays were proud to have five athletes qualify and compete. For these swimmers, participating in the Trials was not just about racing, but about gaining valuable experience and testing themselves against some of the best swimmers in the country, including current Olympians, Paralympians, and future international competitors.

It’s a significant achievement for a club of our size to be represented at this level, and even more so to reach the podium. Out of 148 clubs, only 29 earned a medal, and Newmarket was among them. Our swimmers handled the high-pressure environment with focus and determination, achieving personal milestones, setting two new club records, and representing the Stingrays with pride.

One of the meet memorable highlights came from Lucas Amaral, whose silver-medal performance in the 50m butterfly Junior Final was nothing short of historic. His time of 24.96 seconds not only earned him a spot on the podium, but also shattered a 20-year-old open club record—making him the first swimmer in Newmarket Stingrays history to break the 25-second barrier in that event.

Below is a summary of the results from our athletes:

Lucas Amaral
100m Butterfly – 13th
50m Freestyle – 22nd
50m Butterfly – 2nd in Junior Final, 24.96 (New Open Club Record)

Eunice Cheung
100m Butterfly – 36th
50m Butterfly – 27th

Matteo Mancini
200m Breaststroke – 42nd
100m Breaststroke – 36th
50m Breaststroke – 22nd (New 15/16 Age Group Club Record: 30.09)

Onna Okeke
50m Breaststroke – 22nd

Claire Thorne
50m Breaststroke – 47^th

Qualifying for and competing at the Canadian Trials is a major step in any swimmer’s development. The athletes gained invaluable experience, challenged themselves at the highest level of domestic competition, and performed with confidence and poise.

Congratulations to all five swimmers on their accomplishments. Their performances reflect the hard work of our athletes, the dedication of our coaches, and the support of the Stingrays community. We look forward to seeing what comes next in their swimming journeys.