Canada in Tokyo – Kelsey Wog – Swimming

Despite a love of both reptiles and the Harry Potter series, swimmer Kelsey Wog played down the fact she may actually be a Slytherin at heart.

Wog’s parents have been tasked with looking after her beloved pets, chameleon Pierre and bearded dragon George, as she seeks a magical display in the pool at Tokyo 2020.

The Regina-born swimmer will be in action in the 100 and 200 metre breaststroke, and qualification took a while to sink in.

“I’m excited to have both of those events,” Wog said before flying to Tokyo. “It’s been a long journey to get to this point for, we’ve had multiple attempts to have trials.

“I was glad I was able to put down the performances I did.”

Those performances were a personal best time in the 100 and a gold in the 200. It was Wog’s strongest event; the FINA world championships just two years ago at which she finished sixth.

Now 22 years old, Wog is hitting form at just the right time but said the competition in Japan will be wide open.

“It’s so hard to set a placing as a goal. Everybody has been all over the place,” Wog said. “Racing hasn’t really been consistent so it’s hard to compare.

“I’m just focusing on putting up the best race I can and executing what I’ve trained for. For sure, I want to improve on that sixth place from worlds.”

While COVID-19 has caused training and preparations to slow down for the vast majority of athletes, swimmers including Wog have been thankful for the International Swimming League.

“It was fantastic last fall when there was nothing happening.” Wog explained. “They were able to put us all in a bubble in Budapest and we raced and raced and raced.

“Over the five weeks I think I raced about 25 times. It was awesome to get that in.”

Wog does not think the lack of fans will be a problem for the Canadian team either; that event and the national trials took place in empty venues.

Although she was born in Regina, Wog lives and trains in Manitoba. She didn’t feel the need to move to one of the bigger markets in Ontario or British Columbia for competition.

“It’s personal preference where you want to swim, I found a coach I really like in Winnipeg and I don’t know if I could move away from him,” Wog said.

And although it has been difficult in the last 18 months, Wog still has close connections to the province and tries to get back once a year.

“Basically all my extended family still lives in Saskatchewan (near) Estevan. One set of grandparents live on a farm near Frobisher and my aunt and uncle live out there as well,” Wog said.

Just like rugby sevens player Phil Berna, Wog is also a collector of Starbucks travel mugs, and hopes to grow the hoard in Japan.

“Things are going to be pretty restrictive but there is always airport shopping!” Wog joked.

After finishing 23rd in the 100-metre breaststroke, Wog is back in the pool in the 200-metre heats on July 28.

Listen to the full interview – https://iono.fm/e/1077764