2023 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS
He’s done it again: 14-year-old Laon Kim has done it again. On Thursday evening in Toronto, he broke his fifth Canadian Age Record so far this week, swimming 23.55 in the Junior Final.
Kim, who technically qualified for the B Final but was diverted the Junior Final, knocked another tenth of a second off his 13-14 Canadian Record in the event from his prelims record.
Editor’s note: the top 10, juniors or not, automatically go to the A Final. After that, juniors are diverted to the Junior Final, then the B Final is filled.
Kim, who has turned into a record-breaking machine, now has the 8 fastest times in this event in Canadian history for 13-14s. The next-best swimmer, and the former National Age Group Record holder, Josh Liendo, swam 24.27 in 2017. Liendo won the Canadian National Championship and booked another ticket to the World Championships in finals with a 21.80.
Kim entered the meet holding the Canadian Age Records for boys from the 50 free through the 800 free. So far this week, he has relowered his record in the 400 free twice (4:01.28 in prelims, 3:56.79 in finals to win); and the 800 free (8:17.16). His first four swims so far at the meet (he scratched prelims of the 100 fly) were 13-14 Records.
Kim also swam 2:07.68 in prelims of the 200 IM (for 10th place in the heats), which was a best time by almost a second (over a 2:08.57), but was the first non-record breaking swim of the meet for him. Cole Pratt holds that record in 2:05.26, though Kim ranks 2nd all-time.
