actualités, Sport

CISM Swimming World Championship

Capt Zach Zeiler, far left, gets ready to hit the water during the first day of competition on December 12, 2017 at the CISM Swimming World Championship.
Photo: CISM

Local swimmers represent CAF at CISM World Championship

Par l’équipe du Trident

Halifax and the Atlantic region were well represented recently when a team of CAF swimmers travelled to Brazil to compete against some of the world’ top military athletes.

The 49th CISM World Military Swimming Championship was held from December 12-15 in Rio de Janeiro, bringing 131 athletes from 12 countries together at facilities built for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Athletes representing Canada, Germany, Brazil, France, India, Iraq, Luxembourg, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland and Ukraine all participated.

The event was organized by the Brazilian Ministries of Defense and Sports in conjunction with the Brazilian Military Sport Commission, and is considered a warm-up event for elite military swimmers ahead of the 7th Military World Games, which are set for October 2019 in China. For a select few, the competition was also part of training for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; former Olympic competitors Anton Chupkov of Russia, Marc-Antoine Olivier of France, and Brazilians Etiene Medeiros and João Luiz Gomes were on hand.

The CAF team was composed of Capt Zach Keiler, a dental officer with 1 Dental Unit Detachment in Halifax, Lt(N) Emily Wood, a DeckO at HMCS Scotian, PO2 Doug Young of FDU(A), Capt Stephanie Dennis, formerly of Halifax but currently posted to CFC Toronto, LS Marlee Palmer, RMS Clerk at HMCS Tecumseh in Calgary, Avr Sandy Mclean and MCpl Jim Kelly, both from 14 Wing Greenwood, Capt Jacinda Smith of 19 Wing Comox, and Capt Majed Piedra Abu Sharar, project officer with ADM(Mat) in Quebec.

Results include:

Capt Dennis: 5th place 200m butterfly – 02:31:59, 7th place 100m butterfly – 1:07:01.

Avr Mclean: 6th place 200m breaststroke – 2:58:12.

Capt Smith: 7th place 200m medley  2:38:44.

LS Palmer: 8th place 200m medley: 2:40:20.

Capt Zeiler: 8th place 200m backstroke: 02:27:67.