Lucas Punkari
Even though it’s entirely different from anything he’s competed in before, Fort Frances swimmer Donovan Taylor is excited about taking part in this week’s Canadian Olympic trials in Montreal.
“I’m super-pumped about it, actually,” he enthused.
“Montreal has been a bit of a bugaboo of sorts in the past,” Taylor admitted. “But now it’s like Winnipeg, so I’m totally used to it and this event is going to be a blast.”
The 17-year-old began his slate with the 400m I.M. yesterday, and is competing in the 100m backstroke today.
The 100m butterfly and the 200m I.M. are set for Saturday and Sunday at the Olympic Park Pool.
“When I’ve gone to Montreal in the past, I’ve been competing in the Parc Jean Drapeau outdoor facility,” noted Taylor.
“So I’m excited to know that I’ll be back indoors as that will make my backstroke a lot easier.
“The atmosphere there is going to be a lot different, as well,” he added.
“It’s going to be a lot more high-powered and serious on the deck, instead of at the other meets that I’ve been to where you have the young kids running around on deck and bouncing beach balls around.”
As well, all competitors have to sign a waiver for Sportsnet, which will be airing the finals live from Montreal each night.
This also marks the first time Taylor has ever had to take a drug test prior to a meet.
“That will be totally different, as well, but I’ve already talked to a number of swimmers who have gone through it before so I already know what to expect,” he remarked.
Heading into the Olympic trials, Taylor is coming off a gold- and bronze-medal performance at OFSAA earlier this month in Milton, as well as a three-medal showing at the Man./Sask. short course championships in Winnipeg.
In between those two events, Taylor also spent a few days in Winnipeg to work on his long-course swimming with members of the MANTA team.
“The goal of that was just to get used to the 50-metre swims once again before the trials, especially since I’m going into it right in the middle of the short-course season,” he explained.
“Here in Fort Frances, even though it’s a short-course pool [25 metres long], I’ve been working on a lot of long-course stuff, such as flipping at the 25m mark and not touching the wall and coming out of my own wave.”
Although Taylor said it would be amazing to qualify for this year’s Summer Olympics in London, England, the main goal for the soon-to-be Indiana Hoosier is to use this week’s meet for experience for the 2016 trials.
“The finals would be amazing,” he enthused. “But when I look at some of the psych sheets, I see some of my buddies who are high up there and they would need someone to fall off the face of the Earth before they got in there.
“You have your top swimmers like Ryan Cochrane and Tobias Oriwol, who are going to be flying out there,” Taylor added.
“So for me, the big thing will be to watch those guys out there and learn an awful lot for four years down the line.”
Taylor isn’t the only swimmer with Fort Frances ties competing out in Montreal this weekend. Alex Parent, 22, is vying for a spot on this year’s Paralympic team.
Parent, who attends McMaster University in Hamilton, will be competing in the 100m backstroke today, the 100m freestyle on Friday, and the 100m butterfly on Saturday.
Then he’ll finish up Sunday with the 50m freestyle and 200m I.M. events.
