Laon Kim, a rising star in Canadian swimming, made history at the 2025 VPSC Winter Invitational in Vancouver. Kim, a 17-year-old committed to the University of Texas, shattered two National Age Group Records and set two new Alberta Provincial Records over the weekend. His remarkable performance included breaking the 200-meter freestyle record, previously held by Hassaan Abdel-Khalik since 2009, with a time of 1:43.00. This achievement places Kim as the third-best Canadian performer in the 200-meter freestyle, trailing only Brent Hayden and Colin Russell. Additionally, Kim claimed the 100-meter freestyle record, surpassing Josh Liendo's 2019 mark with a time of 47.32. This feat elevates Kim to the seventh spot in the all-time Canadian rankings for the 100-meter freestyle. Kim's success extended beyond national records, as he also set new Alberta Provincial Records in the 50-meter freestyle (22.02) and 100-meter butterfly (52.18) for 17-year-old boys. He further demonstrated his versatility by achieving a new personal best of 3:47.73 in the 400-meter freestyle, ranking him seventh in the Canadian 15-17 age group. Kim's dominance at the meet was evident, as he won every event except the 400-meter freestyle, which was won by Dutch swimmer Sander Crooijmans. Another standout performer was UBC's Justice Migneault, who set a new personal best in the 200-meter breaststroke, climbing to seventh in Canadian history. The meet also showcased the talent of Maxine Clark and Ranumi Eashwarage, who achieved notable personal bests and provincial records. The event also saw the breaking of several Canadian and provincial records, including a Canadian Para Record by Fernando Lu and Alberta Provincial Records by Kinnon Sen and the University of Calgary Swim Club. The meet was a testament to the depth of talent in Canadian swimming, with Kim's achievements standing out as a remarkable feat for a young swimmer.
