Top Age Group Ranking Profile

We are proud to spotlight a group of 18 and over swimmers who are making their mark within the TAG (Top Age Group) Rankings across Canada. Recognized through the leadership and support of the Canadian Swim Coaches Association (CSCA), these athletes represent the next wave of Canadian swimming excellence.

As we launch this series, we celebrate the coaches, clubs, and families who support these swimmers — and we look forward to following their journey as they continue to rise within Canada’s performance pathway.

You may have heard the famous line from a movie – “it’s what you do that defines you”.

Not sure? Well, it’s from the 2005 superhero flick in the fictional Gotham city that has been seen globally by millions. The name: Batman Begins.

Not to draw comparisons between the star in the trilogy and a Canadian female swimmer, but they are both super interesting to watch. We’re talking about Madison Kryger, who at 17-years of age was chosen the country’s Junior Female Swimmer of the Year.

A movie might be interesting, but looking at reality is something else. The achievements of Kryger remain vastly different.

Kryger has been dominant in race after race. To borrow the motivational catchphrase “we’re only getting started”, Kryger may be a name you’ve heard – but there’s more to come from this sensational individual.

By her own admission, and like most youngsters, Kryger has had expectations.

As a six-year-old, she wasn’t much of a swimmer, despite her uncle having a backyard pool. However, she tagged around with her brother, Matthew, when he shuffled off to the Kiwanis Aquatic Centre in St. Catharines.

That was the beginning of what has become a booming career for her in the water.

First came her appearance at the Garden City Aquatic Club, followed by a boost in confidence in the ability to learn, adapt and perform. The talent started to show even more.

In her graduating year of elementary school, Kryger witnessed what we’ll call a breakthrough. In a 200-metres backstroke race, she dropped a phenomenal eight seconds off her finishing time. Impressive indeed.

What may have been another early sign of her joining the next generation of elite swimmers in Canada came while attending A.N. Myer Secondary in Niagara Falls. In grade 9, she surprised many by winning her first Ontario high school gold medal.

Things moved quickly. Kryger joined the Ontario Swim Academy in 2022. A year later, she was in the High Performance Centre. Both were based at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.

Those memories were shared in a telephone conversation, with the now 18-year-old, from her temporary home for the next few years - the major cultural, educational, and economic hub of Knoxville. Kryger is in her first year of an athletic scholarship at the University of Tennessee. A strong academic student, her educational focus is on the areas of digital and visual marketing.

Swimming is another thing. There’s pressure of a different kind, but Kryger has shown that she can handle scrutiny, strain and stress on the big stage.

With numerous universities trying to get her to attend their school, Kryger chose an elite swim program with performances ranked among the top ones in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Looking back, Kryger points to 2022. It was a huge year for her winning two silver medals at the Canadian Nationals in Montreal. The natural feel-good chemical transmitters in the human brain, known as endorphins, may very well have been the sparkplug for one strong performance after another.

The good times have exceeded the various bumps along the way. For instance, as a nine-year-old, Kryger took home a ribbon handed out for a fourth-place finish at a provincial under-13 meet at Toronto’s Etobicoke Olympium. Ask her about that - but be prepared for an interesting commentary.

“That was probably the one race I will remember the most - and the ribbon which I still have,” she said. “I never wanted to be like that again, just missing out on the top three. It started a fire in me to work harder, get stronger and do much better.”

Her confidence, along with maturity, progress and experience, increased and expanded in races held back in Canada.

“I remember it well, the first time I was a National champ came at the Bell Canadian Swim Trials in Victoria, B.C. (in 2025),” said Kryger, who finished the 200-metres backstroke with a gold medal time of two minutes, 09.88 seconds.

Competing for Canada at a World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, one of her first major international events, didn’t bode well. As a 16-year-old, she placed 19th in a race. Despite battling an illness in a meet a few weeks later in Romania at the World Aquatic Junior championships, things improved. She came home with a bronze in the 100-metres backstroke.

“My success motivates me to do more - and my faith is very important and inspiring to me,” said Kryger.

If there were gold medals awarded for tenacity, perseverance and willpower, Kryger would have three more to go with her growing collection that is piling up at her family home now in Niagara Falls.

“I have a good understanding of my accomplishments - and the goal is to make the Canadian team that competes at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles,” said Kryger, who trains 20 hours a week in the water and on land – a limit placed by NCAA regulations.

Kryger started 2026 with a wave of first place races. First, it was at the Toronto Grand Prix, where she won the 100-metres backstroke (1:02.19). Then a gold at the Edinburgh International in March clocked in 2:10.00 and this time in the 200-metres backstroke. She was top of the podium again in May at a Trofeu meet in Barcelona with a 2:09.53. Returning to Canada, Kryger won at the Bell Canadian Trials in Montreal with a time of 2:08.17.

In July at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Kryger competed in three backstroke races. She placed fifth in the 200 metres, sixth in the 100 metres and eighth in the 50-metres. At the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, Calif., her best race was a sixth-place finish in the 200-metres backstroke.

“The last two years have been a blur – so many meets, experience and improving,” said Kryger, who credits her parents, brother, coaches and teammates for huge contributions of support. “I

don’t usually focus on my achievements, but I am learning to celebrate them and be proud of what I have accomplished.”

The Top Age Group (TAG) listings, more of a ranking system produced by the Canadian Swim Coaches Association, is based on gender, age grouping and event. Three categories are considered - 12 and under, 13–14, and 15–17. It scans the country seeking individual and team performances with the intention of assisting swimmers – those in the young category and others considered in the developing stages – for the purpose of comparing race times.

In the 200-metres backstroke, Kryger is ranked number one in Canada clocked in 2:09.53. As for the 50-metres backstroke, she is listed in the fourth spot with a personal best time of 28.27 seconds. A scan of the 100-metres backstroke times, also has her listed as fourth best in the country with a personal best time of 59.59 seconds.

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations. In 2026, he was inducted to the Toronto Sports Hall of Honour with a Lifetime Achievement Award.