Swimming

Canadian Freestyle Specialist Antoine Sauve Commits to Michigan for 2025

May 7, 2024

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Canadian freestyle specialist Antoine Sauve has sent his commitment to the University of Michigan starting in the 2025-26 season.

At 18 years old, Sauve already boasts plenty of major international racing experience. He earned a pair of bronze medals on relays at the 2023 World Junior Championships, firing off the fastest split (48.73) on his boys 400 free relay team. He also split 49.15 on the mixed 400 free relay at World Juniors and placed 15th in the 200 free individually (1:50.85).

Sauve also represented Canada at February’s 2024 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. He split 49.38 on the 400 free relay that placed 11th in prelims.

“The coach, the team, the campus — Michigan had everything I was looking for,” said Sauve, who currently trains with coach Claude St-Jean at Montreal’s CAMO club.

College athletes from outside the United States are still barred from profiting off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) due to F-1 visa guidelines. However, since Ann Arbor is only about an hour drive from Canada, Sauve can easily take advantage of a loophole that allows foreigners to do NIL deals in their home country. Pete Huang was the only Canadian on the Wolverines’ roster last season, but Lorne Wigginton is slated to join the group this fall.

Best LCM Times (Converted to SCY)

50 free – 23.08 (20.07)
100 free – 49.51 (43.16)
200 free – 1:50.59 (1:36.74)

Sauve’s best converted times would have made the B-final of the 100 free and C-final of the 200 free at the 2024 Big Ten Championships. The Michigan men placed 3rd at February’s Big Ten Championships in their first season under head coach Matt Bowe.

The Wolverines only put one finalist in the men’s 100 free last season, but that was 1st-place finisher Bence Szabados. Szabados is using his COVID-19 fifth year next season, but his collegiate eligibility will be exhausted by the time Sauve arrives on campus.

The Big Ten should get slightly more competitive next season with the USC men entering the conference this summer.

Sauve joins Alex Thiesing and Will Siegel in Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class.

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