Canadian Olympic swimming trials: What's at stake?

For Canadian swimmers, it has come down to this: six days of intense pressure to qualify for the Rio Olympics this summer.

The Canadian Olympic and Para-swimming trials, which CBCSports.ca will live stream beginningTuesday at 7 p.m. ET, take place at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre the same venue which hosted the 2015 Pan American and Parapan Am Games. CBC hostScott Russell, play-by-play manSteve Armitage and analystByron MacDonaldwill cover all the action, withStephanie Dixon providinganalysis for theParalympictrials.

The event is always an emotionally charged competition as swimmers will endure heartbreak andlingering doubtsif they don't qualify for Rio this week.

The entire qualification system is somewhat complicated, so we're offeringa simplified explanation of the process.

Individual nomination

• All swimmers finishing first or second in each eventand who meet the Olympic qualifying time (all times provided below) will clinch an Olympic berth.

Relay nomination

• The top four swimmers of the100-and 200-metrefreestyle events, and who meet the Olympic qualifying time, willclinch an Olympic berth.
• The first-place finishers in the 100medley events will secure a berth provided they meet the Olympic qualifying time.

Olympic qualifying time

• 50freestyle: Male 22.27; Female 25.28
• 100freestyle: Male 48.99; Female 54.43
• 200freestyle: Male 1:47.97; Female 1:58.96
• 400freestyle: Male 3:50.44; Female 4:09.08
• 1,500/800freestyle: Male 15:14.77; Female 8:33.97
• 100backstroke: Male 54.36; Female 1:00.25
• 200backstroke: Male 1:58.22; Female 2:10.60
• 100breaststroke: Male 1:00.57; Female 1:07.85
• 200breaststroke: Male 2:11.66; Female 2:26.94
• 100butterfly: Male 52.36; Female 58.74
• 200butterfly: Male 1:56.97; Female 2:09.33
• 200individual medley: Male 2:00.28; Female 2:14.26
• 400individual medley: Male 4:16.71; Female 4:43.46
• 4x100freestyle: Male - 3:15.47; Female - 3:38.35
• 4x200freestyle: Male - 7:10.92; Female - 7:55.08
• 4x100medley: Male - 3:34.02; 4:00.43

Swimmingtrials on CBCSports.ca

(Finals begin daily at 7 p.m. ET)

Tuesday

• 400IM (men); 400freestyle (women); 100breaststroke (men) 100butterfly (women); 200freestyle (men); Para-50freestyle; Para-200freestyle; Para-400freestyle.

Wednesday

• 200butterfly (men); 100backstroke (women); 100backstroke (men); 400IM (women); Para-100breaststroke; Para-50breaststroke.

Thursday

• 200freestyle (women); 400freestyle (men); 100breaststroke (women); 200breaststroke (men); Para-200IM; Para-150IM.

Friday

• 200butterfly (women); 100freestyle (men); 200IM (women); Para-100butterfly; Para-50butterfly.

Saturday

• 100butterfly (men); 100freestyle (women); 200backstroke (men); 200breaststroke (women); 800freestyle (women); Para-100backstroke; Para-50backstroke.

Sunday

• 50freestyle (women); 50freestyle (men); 200backstroke (women); 200IM (men); 1,500 4x100medley (men); 4x200freestyle (men); Para-100freestyle.