Canadian 10K Swimmers in Guam

Swimming / Natation Canada is sending three athletes to compete in the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 10K race in Guam on January 12th 2009.

Zsofia Balasz (pictured above), an 18-year-old from the Toronto Swim Club, specializes in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle, 200 butterfly and the 10K open water. She won Canada’s first National 10K Open Water Championship in Magog, Quebec and was a member of Canada’s World Open Water Swimming Championship Team in 2008 where she place 27th in the 5K and 42nd in the 10K in Sevilla, Spain.

Craig Dagnall (pictured with his coach Neil Harvey and teammate Jeremy Bagshaw), an 18-year-old from Victoria, swims the 800, 1500, 5K and 10K. He won the Canadian Age Group National Championships in the 800 and 5K and was 16th in the 1500 at the Canadian Olympic Trials.



Nadine Williams, a 15-year-old from Edmonton, also specializes in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle. She won the 1500 and 5K at the Canadian Age Group National Championships and finished 11th in both the 800 and 1500 freestyle at the Canadian Summer Nationals.

Like the British Olympic 10K medalists David Davies, David Davies, Keri-Anne Payne and Cassandra Patten, the Canadian swimmers easily cross-over between the pool and open water.

Up-and-coming athletes 18 years and under from Canada, Australia, China, USA, Japan, New Zealand, Bermuda, Mexico, Guam, El Salvador and Costa Rica will compete at the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. The 10K race will be four loops of a 2.5K triangular course on the north coast in Guam's most popular marine preserve beach in Tumon Bay.


Photo of Zsofia Balasz at the 2007 Pan American Games by Getty Images.