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Red Deer’s Rebecca Smith to compete in groundbreaking swimming league

A product of the Red Deer swimming community will have the opportunity of a lifetime over the next three months.
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Canada’s Rebecca Smith competes in the women’s 100m butterfly heats during the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Aquatic Centre on the Gold Coast, Australia, Thursday, April 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

A product of the Red Deer swimming community will have the opportunity of a lifetime over the next three months.

Rebecca Smith, a 19-year-old swimmer who now trains at the University of Toronto will participate in the groundbreaking International Swimming League.

Smith is one of 13 Canadians suiting up for the inaugural season of the league, which will have seven events from Oct. 5 to Dec. 21 across the world.

It will feature the world’s best swimmers, with 75 per cent of all the current Olympic champions set to compete.

Swimmers will represent eight clubs (Cali Condors, DC Trident, Aqua Centurions, Energy Standard, LA Current, NY Breakers, Iron, and London Roar) and try to win points in regular season matches across Europe and the United States in October and November.

The season ends with the championship event in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 20 and 21, featuring the top four teams (two U.S.-based teams, two Europe-based teams) competing to be the first-ever ISL Champions.

Smith is competing on Energy Standard, a European based-team alongside Penny Oleksiak, Kierra Smith and Kayla Sanchez. All four swimmers earned bronze medals as part of Canadian relays at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.

CBC will have coverage of the first event this weekend, Oct. 5-6 in Indianapolis, Ind.



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Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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