Lori Melien of Whitby has earned a trip to the Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, where she will participate in at least two events. The Anderson C.V.I. student, (who turned 16 on May 1), was the only Canadian woman swimmer to be at the Olympic qualifying time in the 200 metre backstroke during the Olympic trials in Montreal over the weekend.
With her parents looking on, Melien covered the distance in one minute 3.8 seconds, well ahead of the field and ahead of the qualifying time of one minute 4.02 seconds.
It also means an automatic berth in the 4 X 100 medley relay team. – Melien will swim backstroke while world record holder Allison Higson of Toronto will swim the breaststroke leg of the event.
“Lori has worked so hard. She deserves everything she got,” says Irvine Powley of the Ajax Aquatic Club, of which Melien is a member.
