U SPORTS SWIM CHAMPIONSHIP: Courville-Fortin wins backstroke gold, helps McGill to 5 medals at nationals

(VERSION FRANÇAISE SUIT)

MARKHAM, Ont. — Loïc Courville-Fortin of Repentigny, Que., collected a school-record 5 medals, together with a gold within the 200-metre backstroke, because the McGill Redbirds wrapped up the U SPORTS swimming championships Saturday on the Markham Pan Am Centre.

McGill completed fourth amongst 22 faculties with 77 factors, behind champion UBC (1,644), Toronto (935.5) and Calgary (883.5). Ottawa positioned fifth.

Courville-Fortin, a 21-year-old biochemistry sophomore, captured gold within the 200 backstroke in 1:53.41, setting a McGill file. He additionally earned bronze within the 100 backstroke in 51.63 and was a part of three relay groups that additionally reached the rostrum.

The Redbirds captured silver within the 4×200-metre freestyle relay as Saint-Hubert, Que., swimmer Hocine Feddag, Montreal’s Artiom Volodin, Courville-Fortin and Gatineau, Que., native Yegor Semenyuk completed in 7:09.81, establishing McGill, RSEQ and Quebec senior provincial data.

McGill additionally earned bronze within the 4×100 freestyle relay as Courville-Fortin, Feddag, Paris native Augustin Boussion and River He of Richmond, B.C., completed third in 3:15.05.

Another bronze got here within the 4×100 medley relay, the place Courville-Fortin, Feddag, Volodin and Semenyuk touched in 3:32.39.

Courville-Fortin’s 5 medals surpassed the earlier McGill file of 4 at a single nationwide championship meet, set by Alexandre Pichette in 2002 and matched by Pablo Collin in 2023.

While the Redbirds gained 5 medals, the meet may even be remembered for a exceptional run of record-breaking swims. McGill athletes established 14 faculty data and 7 RSEQ marks in the course of the three-day competitors.

Courville-Fortin accounted for a number of of these marks, setting McGill and RSEQ data within the 50 backstroke (23.76), 100 again (51.63) and 200 again (1:53.41).

Erik Linseisen additionally delivered a collection of record-breaking swims, decreasing the McGill mark within the 100 breaststroke twice, first with a 1:00.29 swim earlier than breaking the one-minute barrier with a 59.55 efficiency within the last. He later added one other program file within the 200 breaststroke (2:11.90) and set a brand new McGill commonplace within the 50 breaststroke (27.55).

On the ladies’s facet, Maya McGhan lowered the Martlets file within the 200 freestyle (2:00.11), whereas Rebecca McGrath set McGill and RSEQ data within the 50 backstroke (27.19). Nathalie Day additionally established a convention file within the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:08.06.

Both 4×100 medley relays additionally set program data on the ultimate day. The girls’s quartet of McGrath, Day, Aria Fortier and McGhan swam 4:05.16, whereas the boys’s group of Courville-Fortin, Linseisen, Tristan Govier and Feddag completed in 3:32.39 to interrupt each the McGill and RSEQ marks.

McGill head coach Peter Carpenter stated the performances went properly past the medal rely.

“It will be hard to keep this straight, but I will try,” Carpenter stated after Day 2. “I can confidently say that today was the best day of results I have ever had just based on personal bests and team records.”

The championships produced 22 U SPORTS meet data — 15 in males’s occasions and 7 in girls’s races.

The Redbirds are anticipated to graduate six seniors this spring, together with Charles-Antoine Boucher, Riccardo Camuso, Alejandro Giggey, Tristan Govier, Erik Linseisen and Romain Vanmoen.

COMPLETE RESULTS (PDF)

LINK TO WOMEN’S RECAP

2026 U SPORTS Swimming Championships

Markham Aquatics Centre – Markham, Ont.

Men

GOLD

• 200 m Backstroke — Loïc Courville-Fortin

SILVER

• 4×200 m Freestyle Relay — Hocine Feddag, Artiom Volodin, Loïc Courville-Fortin, Yegor Semenyuk

BRONZE

• 4×100 m Medley Relay — Courville-Fortin, Feddag, Volodin, Semenyuk

• 4×100 m Freestyle Relay — Courville-Fortin, Feddag, Boussion, River He

• 100 m Backstroke — Loïc Courville-Fortin

Total: 5 medals

 

Loïc Courville-Fortin

• McGill & RSEQ file — 50 Backstroke (23.76)

• McGill & RSEQ file — 100 Backstroke (51.63)

Erik Linseisen

• McGill file — 100 Breaststroke (59.55)

Men’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay

• McGill file

• RSEQ file

• Quebec senior provincial file

2025-26 U SPORTS ALL-CANADIANS & MAJOR AWARDS

FIRST-TEAM ALL-CANADIANS: (all gold medalists)

SECOND-TEAM ALL-CANADIANS: (all silver medalists)

SWIMMERS OF THE MEET

Women: Kayla Sanchez, UBC

Men: Andrew Herman, Toronto

COACHES OF THE YEAR

Women’s Team: Derrick Schoof, UBC

Men’s Team: Derrick Schoof, UBC

ROOKIES OF THE YEAR

Women: Ruby Kehler, UBC

Men: Aidan Kirk, UBC

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES

Women: Iris Tinmouth, McGill

Men: Charles-Antoine Boucher, McGill

MEN’S TEAM CHAMPIONS (Nelson C. Hart Trophy): UBC

WOMEN’S TEAM CHAMPIONS: UBC

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SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman

Sports Information Officer

Athletics & Recreation

McGill University

CELL: 514-983-7012

E-MAIL:[email protected]