Rebecca Smith, Ben Miller Withdraw from Canadian Pan American Games Team

Rebecca Smith and Ben Miller have withdrawn from Canada’s roster for the 2023 Pan American Games and been replaced by Julie Brousseau and Kevin Zhang, Swimming Canada announced on Monday.

This retains a roster of 36 swimmers (18 men, 18 women) that will represent Canada in Santiago, Chile from October 21-15.

Smith struggled at the Canadian Trials meet two weeks ago, missing Canada’s primary summer roster for the first time in many years. She finished 7th in the 100 free final in 55.41, 6th in the 200 free final in 1:59.07, and 4th in the 100 fly final in 58.98.

Brousseau, meanwhile, finished 5th in the 200 free in 1:59.05, one spot ahead of Smith; and was 3rd in the juniors final of the 100 free in 56.38. Brousseau is only 17 and specializes in middle distance and IM events: she was 4th at Canadian Trials in the 200 IM in 2:13.66, 5th in the 400 IM in 4:45.28, 6th in the 400 free in 4:14.10, and 9th in the 200 breast in 2:30.79. All six of her finals swims at the meet were new lifetime bests.

Ben Miller, the withdrawal from the men’s team, was 3rd in the 200 fly at Trials in 1:59.64, just a tenth behind Patrick Hussey. That was his only race of the meet. His replacement, Kevin Zhang, is also a butterflier. Zhang finished 2nd in the junior final in the 100 fly in 54.74 at Trials and tied for 4th in the A-final of the 200 fly in 2:00.65.

Zhang is another young swimmer out of Etobicoke: he turns 18 this year. Miller trains in Oregon in the United States.

There was also a staff change – Montreal’s Greg Arkhurst will replace Mike Blondal, Rebecca Smith‘s coach, on the pool coaching staff.

The Pan American Games roster will include a number of swimmers who will do the double with the World Championships, including Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil, as well as Olympians Sydney Pickrem, Javier Acevedo, Finlay Knox, and Katerine Savard.

2023 Pan American Games Canadian Pool Swimming Roster

• Javier Acevedo (Toronto, Ont.)
• Sophie Angus (Weston, Connecticut)
• Alex Axon (Newmarket, Ont.)
• Jeremy Bagshaw (Victoria, B.C)
• Timothe Barbeau (Montreal, Que.)
• Katrina Bellio (Mississauga, Ont.)
• Julie Brousseau (Ottawa, Ont.)
• Stephen Calkins (Calgary, Alta.)
• Benjamin Cote (Pinellas Park, Florida)
• James Dergousoff (Christina Lake, B.C)
• Raben Dommann (North Vancouver, B.C)
• Brooklyn Douthwright (Riverview, N.B)
• Emma Finlin (Edmonton, Alta.)
• Katie Forrester (Oakville, Ont.)
• Édouard Fullum-Huot (Montreal, Que.)
• Collyn Gagne (Milton, Ont.)
• Maddy Gatrall (Windsor, Ont.)
• Danielle Hanus (Newmarket, Ont.)
• Mary-Sophie Harvey (Trois-Rivières, Que.)
• Finlay Knox (Okotoks, Alta.)
• Margaret (Maggie) Mac Neil (London, Ont.)
• Gabriel Mastromatteo (Kenora, Ont.)
• Hugh McNeill (Langley, B.C)
• Rachel Nicol (Lethbridge, Alta.)
• Emma O’Croinin (Edmonton, Alta.)
• Keir Ogilvie (Victoria, B.C)
• Laila Oravsky (Minesing, Ont.)
• Sydney Pickrem (Halifax, N.S)
• Katerine Savard (Pont-Rouge, Que.)
• Brayden Taivassalo (Newmarket, Ont.)
• Blake Tierney (Saskatoon, Sask.)
• Ella Varga (Denver, Colorado)
• Kelsey Wog (Winnipeg, Man.)
• Yu Tong Wu (Surrey, B.C)
• Mabel Zavaros (Burlington, Ont.)
• Kevin Zhang (Toronto, Ont.)

Team Staff:

• John Atkinson (Ottawa, Ont.) – Team Leader
• Iain McDonald (Montreal, Que.)  – Assistant Team Leader
• Janice Hanan (Victoria, B.C) – Team Manager
• Scott Talbot – Head Coach
• Rob Novak – Team Coach
• Sierra Moores – Team Coach
• Vlastimil Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) – Team Coach
• Liam Donnelly (Campbellville, Ont.) – Team Coach
• Greg Arkhurst (Montreal) – Pool Coach
• Johnny Fuller (Toronto, Ont.) – Athletic Therapist
• Rick Pelletier (Calgary, Alta.) – Massage Therapist
• Dr. Sara Forsyth (Vancouver, B.C) – Physician
• Tom Vandenbogaerde (Vancouver, B.C) – Performance Scientist
• Graham Olson (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Race Analysis