Two years after winning just three medals at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, Team Canada produced its best performance yet at the championships, winning 16 medals at the 2024 edition, surpassing its previous record of 15 medals set at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships by one medal.
During the four-day competition, Canada won two gold, six silver and eight bronze medals. The 18-year-old Aiden Normanone of two returning team members, led Canada, winning the boys’ backstroke events and earning a total of six medals.
Norman won the 100m backstroke on the opening day of competition in 54.10 seconds, over a second ahead of the field, then improved his personal best of 1:57.67 seconds to win the 200m backstroke, sharing the podium with his teammate. Ethan Ekkwho took bronze (1:58.28). Ekk also won two individual medals (200 m freestyle silver/200 m backstroke bronze) Julia Strojnowska (400 Bronze free/1500 Silver free).
Canada entered the final day of competition with 14 medals and won two more in the final session, breaking its record. Ella Cosgrove won bronze in the girls’ 800-meter freestyle (8:40.00). Then Norman, Oliver Dawson, Nicholas Duncan, And Kim Laon crowned the competition with a silver medal in the boys’ 4×100 medley relay (3:36.13).
Canada’s performance at Junior Pan Pacs, 2012-2024
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | In total | |
| 2024 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 16 |
| 2022 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| 2016 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 15 |
| 2014 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| 2012 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
Canada won medals in six of the competition’s seven relays, boosting its performance in the medal table. Overall, the team finished fourth in the medal table, with the United States winning, followed by Japan and host nation Australia.
It’s a superb recovery after the 2022 Junior Pan Pacs; their total of three medals at this event is their lowest in the last 12 years and it was the first time since 2014 that they failed to win gold medals. But not only did they return to their usual form, they had their most successful Junior Pan Pacs ever, despite only returning two swimmers from the 2022 Championships.
This performance continues a strong summer in the pool for Canada following the historic Olympic Games. Canada will host the next edition of the Junior Pan Pacific Championship in 2026 in Vancouver, BC.
