Noemie Thomas was the youngest swimmer to race in the 100-metre butterfly final at the world championships Monday night in Barcelona.
The 17-year-old finished seventh in 58.13 seconds, nearly three seconds behind the winner from Sweden who took gold in 56.53 seconds.
In the preliminary heat, Thomas qualified in 57.99, just out-touching her compatriot, Quebecs Katerine Savard, 20, who also raced in the final and finished fifth in 57.97. Both advanced through the semifinal on Sunday with Savard achieving a personal best and setting a Canadian record.
Thomas, a student at Magee, said she wanted a faster finish in her first international appearance but was pleased with her progress.
Im not so thrilled about the time but Im really happy about how I just went in and tried my best, she said in a Swimming Canada news release. I think its good for our development as we get higher into the rankings. Every step is a good experience. I think we learned a lot from this race.
