In a bold and unexpected move, University of Virginia senior Aimee Canny has decided to shake up her NCAA Championships lineup, ditching her usual freestyle events to focus on the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 breaststroke. But here's where it gets controversial: is this a strategic masterstroke or a risky gamble? Let’s dive into the details of this surprising decision and what it could mean for her performance at the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, set to take place from March 18 to March 21 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, GA.
Canny’s shift in focus isn’t entirely out of the blue. At the recent ACC Championships, she hinted at this change by competing in the 200 breaststroke and 400 IM, where she secured second place in the 200 breast with a lifetime best of 2:02.97 and third in the 400 IM with another personal best of 4:02.35. While she also swam the 500 freestyle, finishing second with a time of 4:34.46, just shy of her nationally ranked time of 4:34.26, her performance in the breaststroke and IM events clearly stood out.
And this is the part most people miss: Canny’s return to the 200 breaststroke isn’t as shocking as it seems. She finished 7th in this event at last year’s NCAA Championships, making it her only individual final of the week. This new lineup marks her third different NCAA Championship event selection in her career and her first time racing the 200 IM since 2023, when she placed 19th with a time of 1:56.10.
What’s truly surprising, however, is her absence from the 200 freestyle, an event she’s dominated in recent years. Canny finished 4th in 2024 with a time of 1:42.33 and 9th in 2025 with 1:42.57. She even set a personal best of 1:41.81 as the leadoff leg of Virginia’s 800 free relay at ACCs, ranking her 10th nationally in a highly competitive field. Yet, she’s opted to skip this event, despite her strong standing, in favor of the 200 breast, 400 IM, and 200 IM, where she ranks 2nd, 6th, and 8th, respectively, on the pre-scratch psych sheets.
The decision to skip the 500 freestyle is also noteworthy. While she ranks 5th fastest this season, the event falls directly after the 200 breaststroke on day three, an event where she’s a favorite to win. Historically, the 500 hasn’t been her strongest NCAA event. In 2024, she added nearly three seconds to her season best, finishing 17th, and in 2025, she added over five seconds, placing 38th. This pattern suggests a strategic choice to focus on events where she has a higher chance of success.
Canny’s 400 IM debut at the NCAA Championships will be a highlight, as she enters one of the most competitive fields of the week. She’ll face off against top seed Bella Sims of Michigan and Stanford’s Lucy Bell and Caroline Bricker, who rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Adding to the intrigue, Canny joins fellow Virginia Cavaliers Katie Grimes (4th), Leah Hayes (9th), and Sophia Umstead (12th) in the top 12 of this event, setting the stage for an intense intra-team rivalry.
Here’s the million-dollar question: Can Canny secure her first individual NCAA title? Her best shot likely lies in the 200 breaststroke, where she’s just three-tenths behind top seed Lucy Bell, who holds a time of 2:02.67. As the only two swimmers in the event to break 2:05 this season, their showdown promises to be a highlight of the championships. This dynamic underscores Virginia’s success in developing top-tier breaststrokers, a testament to their coaching and training programs.
As we gear up for the 2026 NCAA Championships, Canny’s strategic shift raises intriguing questions about event selection, risk-taking, and the pursuit of greatness. What do you think? Is Canny making the right call, or is she leaving too much on the table? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for what promises to be an unforgettable week of swimming and diving!
