Missouri graduate Dominique Bouchard took 12th in the 100-meter backstroke at the Rio Olympics Sunday night, posting a time of 1:00.54 in the semi-finals. The top eight swimmers advanced to finals.
Bouchard, who represents Canada, set her best 100-meter backstroke time at the 2015 World Championships, where she touched the wall in 59.80 seconds. That time would have placed 10th in Rio but still would not have qualified for finals.
The 100-meter backstroke is not the 25-year-old’s best event. She is a specialist in the 200-meter race and was sixth in the event at last year’s World Championships. At these Olympics, that race begins Aug. 11.
Sophomore Mikel Schreuders also competed on Sunday. Schreuders, who is from Aruba, swam in the preliminary heats of the 200-meter freestyle, placing 45th with a time of 1:55.10. His best time going into the meet was 1:51.17.
In the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay, Florida junior Caeleb Dressel helped the U.S. earn a gold medal. Dressel swam at the Missouri pool during Southeastern Conference Championships in February, where he set two U.S. records. Michael Phelps, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian joined Dressel on the relay.
Missouri graduate Mack Darragh will swim on Canada’s 400-meter medley relay on Aug. 13. Senior J’den Cox will wrestle on Aug. 20.
_Edited by Alec Lewis | alewis@themaneater.com_