VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds are thrilled to once again welcome some of the top swimmers from across North America this weekend for the 60^th annual Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet from Friday May, 16 through Sunday May, 18.

Fans in Metro Vancouver will have the opportunity to see some of the brightest emerging stars from across Canada and the United States as they compete at the state-of-the-art UBC Aquatic Centre, with preliminary sessions each morning and finals in the evenings.
 

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Feature athletes that will be on display include five-time Olympic medalist Kylie Masse, the 29-year-old former U SPORTS athlete of the year became the first Canadian swimmer to medal at three consecutive Olympic Games after capturing bronze in the 200m backstroke in Paris last summer.



Fellow headliner Josh Liendo returns to the Zajac meet as a fan favourite, the 22-year-old four-time World Aquatics Championships medalist made a splash for team Canada in Paris by earning a silver medal in the 200m backstroke.



"As always, we are very excited to be welcoming both local and international swimmers to the annual Mel Zajac Jr International," said UBC head coach Derrick Schoof. "We have over 700 swimmers and we are delighted to welcome 2024 Olympic Medalists Kylie Masse and Josh Liendo this year."

Standout Thunderbirds swimmers who look forward to competing in the friendly waters of their home pool include, Finlay Knox, Blake Tierney and Emma O'Croinin. All of whom played major roles in ensuring the T-Birds swept top spot on the podium at the 2025 U SPORTS Swimming National Championships this past March in Toronto.



Knox, who earned six U SPORTS gold medals over the course of the weekend while breaking multiple records was named the U SPORTS men's swimmer of the year in his rookie season. The 24-year-old Canadian Olympian has made noise on the international stage early in his career, most notably winning gold in the 200m individual medley at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships, his seventh World Championships medal.



Tierney, a fellow Canadian Olympian earned a bronze medal in the 4x100m mixed medley at the 2024 World Championships and also boasts five Pan American Games medal wins on his resume.



O'Croinin, a multiple U SPORTS medal winner was honoured with the 2022 U SPORTS Female Rookie of the Year Award. The 21-year-old Canadian Olympian, is a two-time Pan American Games medalist and also earned a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in the 4x100m freestyle.



"With over 700 swimmers we will undoubtedly see some amazing up and coming talent," added Schoof. "We have swimmers attending from across the country as well as the US. The meet continues to be the flagship meet here in Vancouver that not only brings world class athletes to Vancouver, but also provides opportunity for our local swimmers to strive for excellence."

Of note, a familiar name from the past and T-Birds alumnus, Yuri Kisil, will make a return to the UBC Aquatic Centre this weekend. The 29-year-old, Canadian Olympian is a six-time medalist at various World Aquatic Championships since 2015 and he looks forward to re-joining the 'Birds this fall to compete and complete some schooling at UBC.



There will be plenty of opportunity for fans to watch all of the elite swimmers coming to Point Grey, as the Zajac features two sessions per day throughout the three-day event. Preliminary heats begin Friday May, 16 at 9 a.m. (PT) each morning, with the first session lasting until the late morning or early afternoon. The swimmers then return to the pool for 5:30 p.m. (PT) evening sessions featuring final heats, which last until at least 8:00 p.m. (PT) each night.

The Mel Jr. and Marty Zajac Foundation has generously sponsored the meet since 1998, allowing the event to attract top international talent year after year. The meet is named after Mel Zajac Jr., who was a swimmer on the Canadian National Team and competed for Canada at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. The event provides the unique and enduring opportunity to honour Mel Zajac Jr.'s competitive spirit and love of swimming, reflected in his achievements as part of the Canadian National swim team.
 

For over 20 years, the Mel Jr. and Marty Zajac Foundation has raised funds in support of the Zajac Ranch for Children. In the summer months, the Zajac Ranch for Children provides camps for children and young adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities. These experiences give participants the opportunity to explore the outdoors while developing greater social and environmental awareness, increased self-confidence and positive growth in attitudes towards physical activity.

For more on the daily schedules, tickets and further details about the Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet, click here: https://www.swimzajac.com/

To learn more about the Mel Jr. and Marty Zajac Foundation, click here: http://zajac.com/

To learn more about the Zajac Ranch for Children, click here: https://zajacranch.com/