Sydney Pickrem to Skip Canadian Nationals in Reassessing Goals
Sydney Pickrem announced on social media Wednesday that she will take a step back from competing this summer, including skipping Canadian Nationals.
Pickrem turned 28 in May. She’s spent the last year as an assistant coach at the University of West Virginia after competing at her third Olympics for Canada.
Pickrem wrote in part:
This year my personal swimming career has looked a little different. I’ve learned a lot, went best times, and enjoyed the process along the way. While managing being a Full-Time College Coach & Swimming hasn’t always been easy, it’s been worth it.
With the support of Swimming Canada, I’ve decided not to compete at Trials this year. For the first time in 13 years, I won’t be racing for Canada & I will be taking some time off to evaluate the next steps in my swimming career.
This isn’t goodbye to Swimming, just a see you later
Pickrem on Thursday announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend, fellow Texas A&M grad and Mexican Olympian Jose Angel Martinez.
Pickrem won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in the women’s medley relay. She has seven career World Championships medals dating to the 2017 meet in Budapest and six (including two golds) in the World Short-Course Championships. Among her top individual achievements was the World Short-Course Championship in the 200 individual medley in 2021. She owns two gold medals at the Pan Am Games as well.
Pickrem pulled out of the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka but swam in Doha in 2024.
Pickrem was sixth in the final of the 200 IM at the Paris Olympics last summer and missed the final of the 200 breaststroke in ninth. Three years earlier, she battled illness in Tokyo that kept her out of the 200 breast and 400 IM. She was sixth in the 200 IM, swam prelims of the 800 freestyle relay and was part of the finals squad of the 400 medley relay that set a national record and got bronze.
Pickrem still holds the Canadian record in the women’s short-course 200 IM.
Canadian Swimming Trials, to determine the team for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore and other international events, will take place June 7-12 in Victoria, British Columbia.
