SWIM RECAP: Day 3 of the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games
Western Mustang alumni Shona Branton (Port Lambton, Ont.) placed sixth in the women’s 50m breaststroke final, one of two Canadians to compete for a medal on Day 3 of the 2025 FISU World University Games in Berlin.
The 2024 U SPORTS Swimmer of the Meet improved on her result from Friday’s semifinal, finishing just half a second off a podium position with a time of 31.18.
“I’m just really grateful to be here. I’m very happy to earn a spot in the final and moved up a spot tonight. It’s a good look for my 100m in a couple days,” said Branton. “I know I have a lot left in me. I’m excited to see what I can do over the next few days.
Next up for Branton will be the women’s 4x100m medley relay on Tuesday.
Also competing in a final on Saturday was 2024 Paris Olympian Julie Brousseau (Ottawa, Ont. / Florida), who finished eighth in the women’s 800m freestyle (8:39.36). Despite finishing just two seconds slower than the personal-best time she set on Friday, Brousseau was outpaced by an extremely strong final. The top four finishers pulled away over the final 300m.
Three other Canadians punched their tickets to finals to be held on Sunday. Both Ben Loewen (Toronto, Ont. / Toronto) and Patrick Hussey (Montreal, Que. / UNC) will race for gold in the men’s 200m butterfly. Hussey posted a time of 1:57.54 in the first semifinal, besting the personal-best time of 1:58.00 he set not 10 hours earlier in the 200m fly heats. He will be seeded seventh for Sunday’s final. Joining him, Loewen finished second in the second semifinal with a time of 1:56.71, and will be seeded fourth for the final.
USC Trojan Ashley McMillan (Penticton, B.C.) advanced to her first FISU Games final, advancing in the women’s 100m backstroke. McMillan shaved nearly a full second off her time from the morning heat in the evening semifinal, finishing seventh with a time of 1:00.89. Fellow Canadian Delia Lloyd (Toronto, Ont. / Ohio State) missed out on a spot in the final by one second, placing 12th in the semifinal with a time of 1:01.90.
Canadian swimmers will take part in three heats on Sunday morning, with action getting underway starting at 9:00 a.m. local time at SSE Berlin.