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Dommann, O’Croinin emerge as distance champions at Canada Games

2017 Canada Summer Games –

Photo Credit: Paul Reimer

Winnipeg – Raben Dommann of British Columbia and Emma O’Croinin of Alberta solidified their long-distance dominance by coming away victorious from Saturday’s 5-km event at the Pan Am Pool in Winnipeg.

 In what was a unique set of circumstances, today’s 5 km open water event that was scheduled to be swam at Birds Hill Provincial Park instead took place indoors.

Dommann posted a time of 56:54.82 in the 5-km race on his way to the gold medal. Today’s gold was his fourth individual medal of the competition as he also bested the field in the 400, 800 and 1500 free. Dommann was a member of three relay medals that includes one gold, one silver and one bronze, bringing his total count to seven.

Though Dommann was looking forward to competing in the open water event, he remained focus on his strategy coming into the event.

“I just swam my race,” Dommann says. “I used the same kind of tactics that I would’ve done in the open water race, so I did 4k pretty smooth and then I went hard in the last one kilometre.”

Coming into the Games, Dommann had his eyes set on his personal goals.

“The main goal coming into the competition was to get those four gold medals, and I definitely accomplished that goal,” he said. “I think I’ve had a really good season so to finish it off like this is great.”

Dommann’s accomplishment was mirrored in the girls’ event by Emma O’Croinin, who won the gold medal in the girls 5-km, clocking in under the one-hour mark at 59:22.48. O’Croinin concluded the Canada Games with four gold medals, and six total. She also claimed gold in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle while earning a silver in the 400 medley and a bronze in the 200 free.

Silver and Bronze in the girls 5-km went to BC’s Acacia Benn and New Brunswick’s Brooklyn Douthwright. In the boys’ event, a pair of teammates from Quebec, Louis Bertrand and Xavier Pimentel, placed second and third respectively.

The conclusion of the 5-km event marks the end of the swimming competition at the 2017 Canada Summer Games.

For complete results from the competition: LINK.