Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney sets new Canadian record at World Aquatics Championships

It wasn’t the podium finish Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney hoped for at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, but the swimmer still managed to break a record.

On Friday morning, Tierney finished fourth in the final of the 200-metre backstroke event. He was less than a second off the podium, but he broke his own Canadian record during the swim with a time of 1:55.09.

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It’s a big improvement for Tierney, who finished 19th in the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics last summer.

Tierney’s time in the 200-metre backstroke event has improved by more than a second since he qualified for the Olympics.

Last year at the Canadian Olympic trials, Tierney posted a time of 1:56.74, which at the time was two and a half seconds faster than his previous personal best.

The 23-year-old moved to Saskatoon in high school and swam with the Goldfins Swim Club.

Tierney currently swims at the University of British Columbia, and resides there to train.

When CKOM spoke with Tierney last summer before the Olympics, he said he credited his coaches for helping get him to where he is today.

“Paul Armstrong and Steven Hitchings – the head coaches there – I think those two individuals helped me take the sport to the next level,” he explained.

“I kind of got onto that national level, and then after high school I was able to get recruited to UBC. I trained with UBC for two years and then progressed to the high-performance centre and training under Scott Talbot,” he added.

Although he’s lived in Vancouver for a number of years, Tierney said he still stays true to his prairie roots.

“I like it there so much. My grandparents lived (in Saskatchewan) my whole life. I wouldn’t say I’m a Vancouver person. I try to go home to Saskatchewan any chance I get. I get some fishing in and try to visit loved ones,” he said.

“I prefer the quiet, small-town type vibe that Saskatoon offers. It’s kind of overwhelming over here. I don’t drive over here, but the traffic is a big thing, and I just love being able to see on for kilometres in Saskatchewan,” Tierney added.

“That’s something I took for granted driving to the pool every day at five in the morning.”