Courtesy Swimming Canada
EDMONTON - Olympic finalist Morgan Knabe of Edmonton broke his Canadian record in the 50-metre breaststroke twice Wednesday at the 2001 Spring Nationals and World Championships Trials swimming competition.

In the final, the Calgary-based Knabe won the gold medal clocking 28.47 seconds which eclipsed the 28.60 mark he swam in the morning preliminaries. The 19-year-old double World Cup champion also earned a nomination to the world championship team.

Chad Thomsen of Edmonton was second in 29.05 and Jason Hunter of Nanaimo, B.C., third at 29.28.

"I had a very good race but I had hopes of being in the low 28's tonight," said Knabe, with his 13th career national crown. "However I needed a perfect race for that and that didn't happen. Still I'm enjoying fact that I've been so consistent over the last few months."

Rhiannon Leier of Winnipeg and Brian Johns of also earned nominations to the world team Wednesday.

In the women's 50 breaststroke, Leier won in 32.41 seconds with Christin Petelski of Victoria second in 32.78 and Emma Spooner of Calgary third in 33.40.

In the 400 individual medley, Johns, 18, clocked 4:20.47 with Chuck Sayao of Toronto second in 4:22.13 and Tobias Oriwol of Mississauga, Ont., third in 4:25.32.

"I just wanted to win the race," said Johns who raced the 200 IM in Sydney. "I showed tonight that I can be a world class 400 IM'er as well."

The upset of the night was in the women's 200 butterfly as Audrey Lacroix of Pont-Rouge, Que., won the gold medal in a personal best 2:12.48. She beat Canadian record holder and two-time Olympian Jessica Deglau of Vancouver second in 2:12.67.

Other winners were Carrie Burgoyne of Winnipeg in the women's 400 IM and Adam Sioui of Trenton, Ont., in the men's 200 butterfly.

The world aquatic championships are July 22-29 at Fukuoka, Japan. Two swimmers per event, provided they meet a pre-determined time standard, can make the team. The standards are based on the 16th fastest time at the 2000 Olympics.

Swimming/Natation Canada announced the recipients of the 2000-2001 Victor Davis Memorial Award. Each swimmer receives a $1,000 scholarship provided by the Victor Davis Memorial Fund. The recipients are Calgarians Jessie Bradshaw and Kelly Doody, Edmontonians Annamay Pierse and Chad Thomsen as well as Kurtis MacGillivary of Cambridge, Ont., Tobias Oriwol of Mississauga, Ont., and Adam Sioui of Trenton, Ont.