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Sydney PICKREM
Sport Swimming
NOC Canada   
GenderWomen
Born21 May 1997 in Tampa, FL, USA
Height1.68 m
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Residence
Toronto, ON, CAN
Higher education
Physiology - Texas A&M University: College Station, TX, USA
General Interest
Injuries
She withdrew from the 400m individual medley at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo due to 'medical reasons not related to COVID-19', outlined by a Swimming Canada statement. She went on to compete in three finals at the Games, winning a bronze medal in the 4x100m medley relay. (SportsDeskOnline, 06 Dec 2021; swimmingworldmagazine.com, 24 Jul 2021)

In May 2012 she suffered an injury to her ankle that meant she was unable to do any breaststroke training for three months. (tampabay.com, 12 Dec 2012)
Famous relatives
Her father Darren played ice hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League [QMJHL]. (olympic.ca, 27 Mar 2016)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
Her brother was a swimmer and she also wanted to try the sport.
General Interest
Awards and honours
While representing Texas A&M University [TAMU], she was named the 2019 Southeastern Conference [SEC] Swimmer of the Year in the United States of America. That year she was also named TAMU Female Swimmer of the Year. (dulcedo.com, 15 Mar 2020; texags.com, 16 Apr 2019; secsports.com, 11 Apr 2019)

She was named the 2012 Youth Swimmer of the Year by Swimming Canada. (islandswimming.com, 25 Nov 2012)
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?
She began swimming at age six at East Lake Woodlands Country Club in Oldsmar, FL, United States of America.
Further Personal Information
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
English
General Interest
Nicknames
Syd (olympic.ca, 27 Mar 2016)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"We always say it's who wants it more, and that's the mentality in the end - it's just trying to get your hand on the wall first." (CBC Sports YouTube channel, 26 Jul 2019)
Other information
MEDLEY STRATEGY
She approaches the first half of the 200m individual medley [IM] differently to the second, primarily because she believes butterfly, the first stroke of the medley, is her weakest. "To get through the first hundred for me it's like, 'Okay, the race really starts'. I get nervous, but I get more excited as I finish my first hundred, just because I know everything is getting stronger as I go. I can see in my peripherals who's next to me, but I just try and stay in my own race because I know I swim IM differently than a lot of people. You can't get wrapped up in what someone else is doing just because you never know what their strong stroke is and their weak stroke is. [The second half of the race] is where I'm definitely a racer. With my times in my last hundred split, I've felt like crap sometimes, I've felt so bad in the water and I've swum my best swims, or I've felt so good in the water and I did not swim very well. So I just try not to think about it." (CBC Sports YouTube channel, 26 Jul 2019)

DUAL NATIONALITY
Born in the United States of America, she has both US and Canadian citizenship. Her parents are from Halifax, NS, Canada. (tampabay.com, 19 Sep 2013; swimming.ca, 29 Aug 2013)

FUTURE CAREER
After she finishes competitive swimming she is interested in pursuing a career in physical therapy. (swimming.ca, 01 Sep 2019)
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team
Toronto Swim Club: Canada
Name of coach
Ben Titley [national], GBR
Training Regime
She trains at the High Performance Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada.

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2021 Tokyo, JPN 400m Individual Medley  DNS
6 2021 Tokyo, JPN 200m Individual Medley 2:10.05
  2021 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke DNS
3 2021 Tokyo, JPN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:52.60
4 2021 Tokyo, JPN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:43.77
6 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 200m Individual Medley 2:11.22
Heats 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 400m Individual Medley 4:38.06
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
2 2024 Doha, QAT 200m Individual Medley 2:08.56
3 2024 Doha, QAT 200m Breaststroke 2:22.94
3 2024 Doha, QAT 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:56.43 
11 2022 Budapest, HUN 200m Individual Medley 2:11.28
3 2019 Gwangju, KOR 200m Breaststroke 2:22.90
4 2019 Gwangju, KOR 400m Individual Medley 4:36.72
3 2019 Gwangju, KOR 200m Individual Medley 2:08.70
3 2019 Gwangju, KOR 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:53.58
3 2017 Budapest, HUN 400m Individual Medley 4:32.88
8 2017 Budapest, HUN 200m Individual Medley DSQ
6 2015 Kazan, RUS 200m Individual Medley 2:10.32
Heats 2015 Kazan, RUS 400m Individual Medley 4:40.60
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 400m Individual Medley  DNS
6 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 200m Breaststroke 2:19.35
4 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 100m Individual Medley 58.26
5 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 200m Individual Medley 2:05.22
Semifinal 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 100m Breaststroke 1:05.08
3 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:46.22
4 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:43.56
2 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay  
1 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 200m Individual Medley 2:04.29
2 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:47.36
1 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay  
4 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:44.16
Pan American Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
1 2023 Santiago, CHI 200m Individual Medley 2:09.04 
1 2023 Santiago, CHI 200m Breaststroke 2:23.39 
3 2023 Santiago, CHI 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay  
World Cup
Rank Year Venue Event Result
20 2023   Overall Ranking  
4 2023 Athens, GRE 200m Breaststroke 2:26.18
5 2023 Athens, GRE 100m Breaststroke 1:08.22
1 2023 Athens, GRE 200m Individual Medley 2:09.67
5 2023 Athens, GRE 50m Breaststroke 31.53
6 2023 Berlin, GER 200m Breaststroke 2:26.43
8 2023 Berlin, GER 100m Breaststroke 1:08.45
2 2023 Berlin, GER 200m Individual Medley 2:11.27
2 2022 Indianapolis, IN, USA 200m Individual Medley 2:05.87
5 2022 Indianapolis, IN, USA 100m Individual Medley 58.77
6 2022 Indianapolis, IN, USA 100m Breaststroke 1:05.66
2 2022 Indianapolis, IN, USA 200m Breaststroke 2:19.77
1 2022 Indianapolis, IN, USA 400m Individual Medley 4:26.66
6 2022 Toronto, ON, CAN 100m Breaststroke 1:05.38
5 2022 Toronto, ON, CAN 100m Individual Medley 58.75
2 2022 Toronto, ON, CAN 200m Breaststroke 2:19.71
2 2022 Toronto, ON, CAN 200m Individual Medley 2:05.23
2 2022 Toronto, ON, CAN 400m Individual Medley 4:28.45
7 2013 Singapore, SGP 200m Backstroke 2:10.50
6 2013 Singapore, SGP 400m Individual Medley 4:44.40