By Nick Butler

The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic trials will take place in Toronto ©Swimming CanadaToronto will have another opportunity to showcase its host city credentials by hosting the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials in 2016, Swimming Canada have announced.


This follows the announcement last October that four cities were competing to host the quadrennial Championships, with Quebec City, Montreal and Edmonton the three unsuccessful applicants. 

Taking place in the new Pan Am Sports Centre, the centrepiece of the swimming competition at the Pan American Games next year, the meeting will be the main opportunity for Canadian swimmers to qualify for Rio 2016.

Due to be held from April 5- until 10 in 2016, four months ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 5, it will mark only the fourth occasion the Trials have taken place in Toronto, following previous editions in 1928, 1952 and 1956. 

The Trials ahead of the last two Games, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, took place in Montreal. 

"Our centre is the most elite high performance training and competition facility in the country," said Bob Singleton, managing director of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.

"We're excited to host this event, and to enhance the city and region of Toronto's reputation as both a world-class destination and a leader in sporting facilities."

Two time Olympic medal winner Ryan Cochrane should be one Canadian star to be competing at the Trials ©AFP/Getty ImagesTwo time Olympic medal winner Ryan Cochrane should be one Canadian star to be competing at the Trials ©AFP/Getty Images







The meeting, which will be sponsored by several different groups, including the City of Toronto, Toronto Tourism, and the University of Toronto, will take place in the yet-to-be-completed facility which is being especially designed for the Pan American Games. 

Developed in partnership with the Canadian Governemnt and the Province of Ontario, the Aquatics Centre will seat 6,000 fans, while it will also include two 10-lane pools, a competition pool and a separate training and warm-up pool, as well as additional facilities for diving. 

Canada won two medals in the pool at London 2012, a 100 metres freestyle bronze for Brent Hayden and a 1500m freestyle silver for Ryan Cochrane, before the country won four swimming golds in a 16 medal haul at the subsequent Paralympics.

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