'It's here and it's now': Golden generation of Canadian swimming on display at 2023 trials

At the place dubbed the fastest pool in the country, Canada's top swimmers are once again gathering at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre for Swimming Canada's flagship event, the national trials.

And for the first time since 2019 fans will be allowed to attend the trials — more than 2,000 have already been sold for the six-day event beginning Tuesday that goes towards selecting teams for the world aquatics championships, world para swimming championships, world junior swimming championships and the Pan Am Games.

Preliminary heats are at 9:30 a.m. ET each day, with finals sessions set for 6 p.m. All sessions are being streamed live on CBC Sports digital platforms. Live streams can be watched via the free CBC Gem streaming service, at cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices.

More than 620 athletes from 148 clubs across Canada are in action this week — this event is signalling the start of preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

And there is unparalleled talent and depth within the Canadian swimming program right now. The team won an historic 14 medals at the world championships in Budapest last summer. The women's program continues to thrive while the men are making inroads and are prepared to compete with the best in the world.

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High performance director John Atkinson says there is momentum and confidence in the pool.

"I think it's here and it's now," Atkinson said.

"It is a golden era of Canadian swimming. It is everything that people say it is."

There are two noticeably absent names left off the competition list, however, this week. Canada's most decorated Olympian Penny Oleksiak is still recovering from knee surgery and will not be swimming at trials.

Atkinson says they will not be forgetting about Oleksiak and Ruck as they continue with Olympic preparations for Paris. He says this event is the beginning of the foundation for the team that will compete at the Games in 2024.

"This trial is where that Olympic journey starts," he said.

"Everybody is on their path. Some take a different path to getting to Paris. But this trials is really the beginning to the path to Paris. We're selecting athletes for the world championships."

All eyes are going to be on 16-year-old swimming sensation Summer McIntosh who seemingly breaks records every time she's in the pool. McIntosh is already a two-time world champion, won six medals at the Commonwealth Games last year and made her Olympic debut at just 14 years old.