Michelle Wang breaks McMaster record with gold medal at OUAs

Marauders swim team travels to Markham, Ont., for the OUA championships, women’s swimmer Michelle Wang earns individual gold in the women’s 50-metre butterfly

From Feb. 7 to 9, 2025, the Marauders swim team hosted the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships in Markham, Ont. The women’s and men’s teams raced in the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, individual medley and relay events of various distances.

Overall, the Marauders swam well, with both the men’s and women’s teams finishing third and earning a total of nine individual and relay medals. Seventeen Marauders swimmers also qualified for the U Sports championship, which the University of Toronto will host from March 4 to 8, 2025.

However, out of all the medalists, one stood out. Michelle Wang, a third-year swimmer, broke the McMaster record for the women’s 50-metre butterfly and came within three-hundredths of a second of setting a new OUA record.

Wang told The Silhouette that before her big success, she was feeling nervous going into the race.

“Since the tournament was hosted by McMaster, a bunch of our alumni were in the stands. I was also seeded first in my heat, which made it more nerve-racking,” said Wang.

Being nervous wasn’t all bad, though, as Wang explained that nerves normally help her swim faster. This was evident as she beat the McMaster record in the women’s 50-metre butterfly with a time of 26.8 seconds.

She also credited her performance to the support of her team, not just at the OUA championships but throughout the year.

“A way in which our team is different from other schools is that when we’re tired from our own races, we cheer for our teammates. We’re the loudest team at every meet,” said Wang.

Wang has been swimming with the team since her first year at McMaster and medalled in an individual event for the first time this year. When asked about what factors contributed to her development, she attributed her improvement to gaining more experience and training at the university level.

While putting in countless hours at swim practices, Wang is also one of the co-captains of the team this year. She touched on how she has taken on this leadership role.

“The chance to give speeches before matches and hype up our teammates is really fun—I enjoy it a lot. Another big part is leading by example, such as demonstrating the work ethic required and showing up to practice,” said Wang.

Looking ahead to the U Sports competition, Wang reiterated that she just wants to enjoy the experience with her teammates and race the best she can.

“With U Sports so close, most of the work is already done. Now I just want to clean up my technique and be cognizant of the little things that may impact the race,” said Wang.

Following their success at the OUA championships, the Marauders will travel to Toronto to compete at the U Sports championships from March 4 to 8, 2025.