“The devil is in the details,” the saying goes. This is a bit of what sums up the World Championships of swimmer Katerine Savard. One year before the Paris Olympics, the Quebecer wants to pinpoint the missing element in her 100m butterfly.
Savard reached the semi-final of this event in Fukuoka and finished 13th in 58.18s.
Finding herself 13th in the world in her 14th season with the national team gives the veteran a certain pride. In fact, her time bothers her more than her ranking.
“What did I do, hundreds, 100m butterfly? I always do the same time! It’s positive in a way, because I’m very consistent, but I’d like to prove that I can do it a little faster,” Katerine Savard shared with Sportcom after the typhoon in Japan ruined her vacation.
“I have to be proud of myself!” What plays on my mind is why I do the same time all year, whether I am rested or not, regardless of the competition. My training proves that I should be faster and that is what is working for me at the moment. »
The slightest push or a simple breath can have a huge impact in the pool. Every aspect of swimming has the potential to lead the athlete to a podium, a final, or an Olympic qualification.
“I’m going to sit down with my trainer and physical trainer. I have to figure out how to make the little difference that will allow me to take the extra step. We are talking about tenths of a second, details, but details that will make the difference, ”continued the one who is aiming for a fourth Olympic participation next summer.
The Fukuoka World Championships were the sixth of his long course career. In Japan, the swimmer from Pont-Rouge also finished 12th in the 50m butterfly, the best result of her career in this event, at worlds. In the semi-finals, she covered the distance in 25.98 s.
“It’s the first time since 2016 that I’ve swum it under 26 seconds, it’s probably my second best ever performance in this event! I didn’t necessarily have any expectations, because I wasn’t even ranked in the top 16 in the world,” she explained.
Savard admits that her approach was different in the two events and she intends to learn from this observation. The pressure was more felt in the 100m butterfly, which she practices day after day, unlike the 50m, where she was more relaxed.
Katerine Savard also represented Canada in the 4x100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relays. She swam the qualifications of the two events in which the country placed seventh and fifth in the final.
In the absence of some Canadians, including Penny Oleksiak, expectations were not the same in the Canadian camp. For the first time since 2016, according to Savard, the podium was not always the absolute objective. The line-up meant that some athletes had to do a little more than usual, like Maggie MacNeil, who swam the qualifications of two relays instead of saving her strength for the finals.
“We knew it was going to be tougher and it was more difficult to adjust as a team, but it also gave the youngsters the opportunity to show that they could help the country for the year next, mentioned Savard. We discovered new potential that could make the difference next year. The more depth we have, the more rested we will be and that will inevitably help our performance. »
Katerine Savard will resume training quickly. She will be preparing for the Pan American Games to be held this fall in Santiago.
