A Surrey para swimmer has been making waves at the Canadian Swimming Championships in Toronto, breaking several records on his path to the Paralympics in Paris, France next month.
Sebastian Massabie, an S4 (parasport classification) swimmer with the South Surrey-based Pacific Sea Wolves club, broke several national marks and a world record – twice.
On Saturday (July 27), Massabie charged home in 2:59.97 in the men’s 150-metre individual medley para multi-class, to lower his own SM4 record to under three minutes.
“I think he’s looking good,” coach Jy Lawrence said. “There are some areas we still need to clean up and we are working on making sure the finals are more successful. At trials, he was a lot faster in prelims, but I’d say we’ve nailed that (finals) here.”
Massabie, no stranger to breaking records, returned to the pool with a new men’s 50-metre freestyle S4 Canadian record (38.03).
“I think the 150 was the best, because I’m usually a bit slow in breaststroke,” Massabie said at the competition, when answering which new record he was most proud of after night four.
On Sunday, Lawrence said from Toronto that Massabie broke another national record – and likely a world record – in the 50-metre butterfly that morning.
"He's excited to come back for the finals tonight in that, because he thinks there's some things he can adjust," she said.
Indeed, a Swimming Canada release confirmed Massabie broke the world record – previously set by himself – lowering his mark by 0.2 seconds with a 38.48 swim and, staying true to his training, the young swimmer shaved another 0.46 seconds in the evening finals to lower his world record to 38.02. Massabie has now lowered the previously 10-year-old mark four times this year, the release noted.
Massabie also competed in the 50-metre backstroke Monday (July 29), where he broke another national record with a time of 52.37 seconds.
"The rest of the meet has gone really, exactly where we were hoping for, leading into Paris about a month out... we're excited for what this means for the summer," she said.
They leave on August 13 for staging camp ib B.C., then head to the Olympic Village in Paris on Aug. 24 for the Paralympic Games.
"He's thrilled! I think he's as prepared as he can be."
Team Canada also features another Surrey para swimmer, Arianna Hunsicker.
