Masse of success for Canadian swimmer at worlds

Kylie Masse didn’t know how special her race was, that she was making history as she completed the 100-metre backstroke in a world record time of 58.10 seconds on Tuesday.

“I touched the wall and I looked back and I had to make sure I was looking at the right name and the right time,” Masse said on a conference call. “In the moment, I don’t even know what I was thinking but excitement and joy.”

With the win, Masse became Canada’s first world champion in a women’s swimming event and the country’s first world record holder since Annamay Pierse set the standard in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke in 2009.

She broke the oldest world record in women’s swimming, the 58.12 seconds set by British backstroker Gemma Spofforth on July 28, 2009, before high-tech swimsuits were banned. She is the first Canadian world champion since Brent Hayden won gold in men’s 100-metre freestyle in 2007.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” said Masse, who finished ahead of silver medallist Kathleen Baker of the U.S. (58.58), as well as Australia’s Emily Seebohm (58.59).

Masse returns to the pool Wednesday for the 50-metre backstroke.

In other events Tuesday: American Katie Ledecky ■ breezed to her third and fourth gold medals of the world championships, capturing the 1,500-metre freestyle by more than half the length of the pool and the 200-metre freestyle by .39 seconds. Having already won the 400 free and 4x100 free relay on the opening day of swimming, Ledecky stayed on course for a record-tying six golds by a female swimmer. Her third medal made her the first woman to win 12 gold medals at the world championships.

Kierra Smith of Kelowna, B.C. ■ finished sixth in the 100-metre breaststroke final with a time of 1:06.90.

I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.