KATERINE SAVARD
- University of Montreal
- First Year
- Hometown: Pont-Rouge, QC
- Faculty: Primary and Preschool Education
- Height: 5-5
- Age: 21
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NICKNAME/FUN FACT: “I have so many nicknames, everyone uses a different one: Koot, Kittykat, katkoot, kitkat, katine, kat
Katerine Savard is currently one of the best flyers in Canada. Coming off an amazing 2013-2014 year where she won gold at the Commonwealth Games in the 100m fly, Savard has quickly emerged as a huge international threat in the butterfly events.
She’s a Canadian record holder, and in her first year in the CIS she’s already broken a CIS record. At the RSEQ conference championships Savard broke the 100m fly CIS record, and is now going into the meet as the fastest ever 100m fly swimmer the CIS has ever seen.
She’ll have a gigantic advantage against her competitors when it comes to the long course finals, given that she’s competed and won at the international stage already. In short course meters she’s the Canadian record holder in the 100m fly, but in the long course pool she’s the Canadian record holder in both the 50 and the 100.
“I like to race long course way better, so I’m really happy to have the opportunity to swim finals long course. It’s a good step towards trials to see where we’re at.”
Right now, Savard is using the CIS Championships solely as stepping stone towards trials where she’s a favourite in multiple events. “I am not rested at all. I had doubles here in Victoria, and will be swimming practices until the meet starts. The meet itself will be good training for me and I’m looking forward to swimming fast.”
Savard already displayed at the RSEQ Championships that she can swim fast without rest. She seems like a lock in the 100 and 200 flys, but in the 50 she’ll have to put up with rival Sandrine Mainville. Mainville beat her last year at the 2014 Canadian Commonwealth Games and Pan Pac trials in the event, but Savard does have the Canadian record on her.
This weekend however, they’re going into the meet as teammates. Both of them have very high hopes as to Montreal’s outcome this weekend. “We have a really good women’s team. Over the 16 girls we have here in Victoria, eight of us already made a national team. I think we have the depth to compete against the likes of UBC, UofT, and Calgary,” said Savard.
Last season the Montreal girls placed second overall to UBC with a large gap separating them. This season, with hopes to close the gap, and Mainville even saying to possibly come out on top, they have the weapons to make a win much more of a challenge for the defending champions, UBC.
Savard will be extremely important to the medley relay. Barbara Jardin is currently seeded fourth in the 100m backstroke and will likely start off that relay, Marie-Solei Jean-Lapachelle is seeded fifth overall in the 100m breaststroke, Savard is the fastest Canadian ever in the 100m fly, and Mainville is the defending champion in the 100m freestyle. With swimmers like that, there’s no doubt that Montreal could create an upset on the 4x100m medley relay.
Not only will Savard be great on the 4x100m medley relay, but there’s a possibility she’ll be on the 4x200m freestyle relay as well. She’s swimming the individual 200m freestyle here and is really excited about that. “I am really excited about swimming the 200m freestyle long course. I had a good swim at the last short course world championships in that event, and I look forward to it in Victoria. It’s a new event for me.”
As a first timer in the CIS with so much swimming experience, Savard is enjoying her time. “It gave me lots of opportunities to race at a high level of swimming without any rest. Hopefully, racing under these conditions will help me in the big meets to come this summer.
“It will be interesting to race the fastest varsity swimmers in the country and see how fast I can go.”