Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

RECORD SETTER – In this 2016 file photo, from left, Rennes Lindsay, Hannah Kingscote and Cassis Lindsay, pose for a portrait at the Canada Games Centre. The three swimmers were the only Yukoners to compete at the B.C. AAA swimming championships in Kamloops last weekend. Cassis Lindsay set a club record.

Cassis Lindsay claims new Glacier Bears record at B.C. AAA swim meet

Less than a seven hundredth of a second separated Cassis Lindsay from the podium.

By Marissa Tiel on July 14, 2017

Less than a seven hundredth of a second separated Cassis Lindsay from the podium.

The 16-year-old Glacier Bear finished her 50 backstroke in 31.89 to place fifth at the B.C. AAA Longcourse Swimming Championships in Kamloops.

“I was so close to third, I didn’t even realize it,” she said.

She also didn’t realize she had set a new club record until she stepped out of the pool and spoke to coach Malwina Bukszowana.

“I was so happy,” she said of learning of the record. “I’m pretty proud of that race.”

Lindsay has been working on her backstroke all season and said she can feel the improvements.

The stroke improvements are more apparent in the longer distances she swam, like the 100-metre backstroke, but also made fractions of a difference in the sprints.

“It’s an all-out sprint,” said Lindsay. “You spin your arms as fast as you can.”

Lindsay also raced in the 100 backstroke, finishing in 1:10.72, the 50 fly (30.59), the 100 free (1:03.15) and the 50 free (28.38).

She was joined at the meet by her younger sister, Rennes Lindsay and teammate Hannah Kingscote.

The Lindsay sisters said it was hotter in the pool than outside, where forest fires have been burning in the area around Kamloops.

Rennes, 14, didn’t break any of her best times. Her top result came in the 800 free, where she finished 11th in 9:46.65.

This season, she has started to race her 200 butterfly, a punishing race in what is regarded as swimming’s toughest stroke.

She finished 19th in 2:41.18.

“It felt really good,” she said. “It was a really good race. I was really happy about it.”

Rennes also competed in the 200 free (2:16.76), 400 free (4:48.74) and 400 IM (5:30.67).

Kingscote, 15, set a trio of best times at the longcourse meet, which utilizes an Olympic-sized 50-metre pool.

She finished sixth in 50 back, finishing in 32.55, 15th in 200 back (2:32.82) and 11th in 100 back, finishing in 1:08.69, less than half a second off her age group nationals qualifying time in the event.

Rennes and Cassis are back in the pool next week for the North American Indigenous Games, when they will compete as part of the Yukon’s first-ever swim team at the event.

Then, Rennes will race at age group nationals as the only Yukoner to qualify for the event.

Finally, Rennes and Kingscote will wrap up the swim season at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg at the beginning of August. Cassis is over the maximum age requirement to compete.

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