Inspired by Michael Phelps, Josh Liendo has pool podiums and representation as swim goals

Josh Liendo is a young man on the move.

At last month’s Canadian world swimming trials, Liendo stamped his name in the record books, setting national records in the men’s 100m butterfly at 50.88 seconds and 50m free at 21.63.

"It was definitely the plan," he said afterward, according to CBC. "I want to move forward in the future but I wanted to be at this point right now."

The 19-year-old not shy about what moving forward means in his mind.

"I want to get some medals on the international level. That's my goal and I'm not shying away from that. It's something I want to do and I'm going to say it proudly,” he said. “I just say it. Even if I don't get there, I'm going to say my goals and make it clear to everybody what my goals are. I feel that's what goal-setting should be. You should say what you want to do."

Like Phelps, Liendo dreams of bigger impact

Liendo competed in the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021, and says he was inspired by swimming great Michael Phelps to pursue butterfly events. He also has big ambitions beyond the pool.

Born in suburban Toronto, young Joshua moved with his Trinidadian parents their native country as a toddler before returning to Canada at age 9. His return made him suddenly aware of his position as a minority in his sport.

“It wasn’t (something) I ever thought about in Trinidad,” explained Liendo in an interview with the Star. “When I came here, it was definitely different. Obviously I noticed that I was a minority.”

In 2021, Liendo became the first Black Canadian swimmer to win a gold medal at a major international championships when he was part of the victorious 4x50m mixed freestyle relay team at the short course worlds in Abu Dhabi.

Individually, he picked up two bronze medals in the 50 and 100m free races.

"It's so important and it's exciting to see," Liendo said of those accomplishments. "You love to see it in this sport that there's more people like me."

He competed in three individual events at the Tokyo Games, and nearly found the podium as part of the 4x100m relay squad that finished fourth.

Now, an established swimmer for the Canadian national team, Liendo hopes he can inspire more Black participation.

“I tell them not to be bound by stereotypes,” he said. “You can do whatever you want. Look at me.”

Liendo looking to the future

One athlete who he is looking at is Antoine Destang, a teenager who impressed last year when he swam a 23.56 in 50m butterfly at age 13. The time, according to SwimSwam, is the fastest for a 13-year-old in USA Swimming’s database by more than seconds.

"I saw Antoine in one of the junior finals. Another Black boy. And we love to see it,” Liendo said at the Canadian world trials. “I remember my first trials were here and I was 14, a kid like him. Once you see someone like you, it's more likely you'll see some more representation in the sport in the future."

Liendo has big goals for himself in his sport, as well, as he looks to make a splash at the upcoming FINA swimming World Championships in Budapest. Though Canada won six swimming medals at the Tokyo Games, no Canadian man reached the podium.

That’s something he hopes to part of changing.

"We're coming. We're coming and working on it. And there's momentum," he said. "It's taken patience. We're in the background and working hard. Now we're coming forward."