Biography
Beginnings
Finlay Knox (born January 8, 2001) is a Canadian competitive swimmer. Knox was born in England, and his family emigrated to New Zealand when he was two years old. He learned how to swim for water safety and loved surfing and bodyboarding at his local beach. Knox’s family then emigrated to Canada when he was seven. When he arrived in Canada, Knox began swimming competitively and also started to play hockey. After a few years of balancing both sports, Knox decided to pursue swimming, the sport he had fallen in love with.
Biography
Beginnings
Finlay Knox (born January 8, 2001) is a Canadian competitive swimmer. Knox was born in England, and his family emigrated to New Zealand when he was two years old. He learned how to swim for water safety and loved surfing and bodyboarding at his local beach. Knox’s family emigrated to Canada when he was seven. When he arrived in Canada, Knox began swimming competitively and also started to play hockey. After a few years of balancing both sports, Knox decided to pursue swimming, the sport he had fallen in love with.
In The Water
As an age group swimmer, Knox broke over 40 provincial records and 2 Canadian junior records before making his way onto the senior national team.
Knox represented Canada for the first time in 2018 at the junior Pan Pacific Championships in Fiji. A few months later at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Knox won bronze in the 200 m individual medley.
In 2019, Knox became the national champion in the men’s 200m Individual medley and went on to compete at the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest where he won a silver medal in the 200m Individual medley and a bronze on the mens 4x100m medley relay.
Knox moved to Toronto to continue his training at the Ontario High Performance Center. He was the youngest male competitor in the inaugural season of the International Swim League (ISL), competing for the London Roar team that ended the season in second place.
During the 2021 Canadian Olympic swimming trials in Toronto, Knox broke the national record in the 200 individual medley, with a time of 1:58.07. This qualified him for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo where Knox placed seventeenth in the men’s 200 m individual medley.
Knox swam for the Toronto Titans in the second and third seasons of the ISL, breaking the short course 100m IM Canadian record on three occasions during season 3.
Knox was part of Canada’s team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he won a bronze with the men’s team in the 4×100 m freestyle. He was the only member of the team to swim in both the heats and the final. This was the first men’s relay medal for Canada at a major event since the 2015 Pan American Games, and the first at the Commonwealth Games since 2006.
At the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Knox stood on the podium for the first time as a individual in the Mens 200m Medley. Knox broke the Canadian record and set the 10th fastest time in history with a 1:51.04. Knox also swam to bronze in the Mens 100m Medley, walking away with two individual medals and one Canadian Record.
At the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka Japan, Knox was part of the 5th place performing 4x100m freestyle relay. Knox also made his first semi final swim in the 200IM placing 13th overall.
In the summer of 2023 Knox relocated from the High Performance Center of Ontario to the High Performance Center of Vancouver to train under head coach Scott Talbot
Knox won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago Chile in the men’s 200-metre individual medley. The win would be his first ever gold medal at a major games. He also was part of four bronze medals relays in the 4×100 freestyle, 4×100 mixed freestyle, 4×200 freestyle and 4×100 medley.
In The Water
As an age group swimmer, Knox broke over 40 provincial records and 2 Canadian junior records before making his way onto the senior national team.
Knox represented Canada for the first time in 2018 at the junior Pan Pacific Championships in Fiji. A few months later at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Knox won bronze in the 200 m individual medley.
In 2019, Knox became the national champion in the men’s 200m Individual medley and went on to compete at the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest where he won a silver medal in the 200m Individual medley and a bronze on the mens 4x100m medley relay.
Knox moved to Toronto to continue his training at the Ontario High Performance Center. He was the youngest male competitor in the inaugural season of the International Swim League (ISL), competing for the London Roar team that ended the season in second place.
During the 2021 Canadian Olympic swimming trials in Toronto, Knox broke the national record in the 200 individual medley, with a time of 1:58.07. This qualified him for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo where Knox placed seventeenth in the men’s 200 m individual medley.
Knox swan for the Toronto Titans in the second and third seasons of the ISL, breaking the short course 100m IM Canadian record on three occasions during season 3.
Knox was part of Canada’s team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he won a bronze with the men’s team in the 4×100 m freestyle. He was the only member of the team to swim in both the heats and the final. This was the first men’s relay medal for Canada at a major event since the 2015 Pan American Games, and the first at the Commonwealth Games since 2006. Knox also reached the finals of the 100 m butterfly and the 200 m medley, placing fourth in the latter.
At the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Knox stood on the podium for the first time as a individual in the Mens 200m Medley. Knox broke the Canadian record and set the 9th fastest time in history with a 1:51.04. Knox also swam to bronze in the Mens 100m Medley, walking away with two individual medals and one Canadian Record.
Out Of The Water
For Finlay, having time away from the pool is just as important as the time spent in the pool. Growing up in New Zealand, Knox fell in love with board sports and surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding are some of the activities he loves to do when away from the pool. During Christmas breaks, you will always catch Finlay in the mountains snowboarding or at the lake playing hockey.
Finlay’s competitiveness also comes out when he’s away from the pool as he loves to challenge himself with projects or actives he’s never done before. During covid he built a full size Ping-Pong table for his family after they spent weeks playing on the kitchen table. While living in Toronto he challenged himself to create artwork for his apartment after he saw a video on Instagram. He has also made custom hoodies, created art work on Adobe illustrator, customized his race suits and created his athletic logo, the ‘FiN’.
Out Of The Water
Growing up in New Zealand, Knox fell in love with board sports. Surfing, Snowboarding and skateboarding are some of the activities he loves to do when away from the pool. He also loves creating. During the Covid lockdown, he transformed his parents basement into a number of projects to keep himself busy. He also enjoys making original artwork to decorate for his apartment in Toronto.