ANOTHER MEDAL
Masse swims to bronze
Kylie Masse won her second world championship medal in as many days Wednesday, this time in one of swimming ’s newest — and craziest — events: the 4x100-metre mixed medley relay.
The backstroker from LaSalle teamed with Edmonton’s Richard Funk, Toronto’s Penny Oleksiak and Calgary’s Yuri Kisil to set a Canadian record with a time of three minutes, 41.25 seconds to tie China for bronze. They finished just behind the U.S. (3:38.56) and Australia (3:41.21). All four medallists — as well as fifth-place Great Britain — beat the previous world record.
“It was such an incredible experience,” said Masse, 21, who won gold in the 100-metre backstroke in world record time on Tuesday. “That mixed relay is something I’ve never done before and isn’t offered at a lot of meets. To be able to do it here at world championships was so much fun. To compete for other people as well makes it even better and is almost more motivating. You get more excited and there’s more energy so it was a really fun experience.”
The event, which debuted at the 2015 world championships and will be contested at the Olympics for the first time in Tokyo in 2020, features two men and two women on each team. Strokes are not dictated by gender, which means men and women race against each other.
“It’s interesting to watch,” said American Matt Grevers, who raced the backstroke leg against Masse. “You’re not sure who’s winning, even when one team is real far ahead. It’s uncharted territory, which is really fun, because as swimmers we usually know what’s going on.”
Canada was sixth after Masse’s backstroke (58.22) and seventh after Funk’s breaststroke (59.14) and Oleksiak’s butterfly (56.18). Kisil then charged past Great Britain, Russia and Italy to vault Canada into the third-place tie.
The event can be particularly challenging for women if they’re in a lane between two large men. The water can get choppy when the competitor in the next lane is far ahead.
In the morning heat, Funk teamed with Toronto’s Javier Acevedo, Rebecca Smith of Red Deer, Alta., and Winnipeg ’s Chantal Van Landeghem, who also received medals for advancing Canada to the final by qualifying third. That foursome held the Canadian record at 3:44.46 for a few hours before the final.
“Great team performance tonight from the athletes, coaches and all the staff who prepared them,” said Swimming Canada high performance director John Atkinson. “We had a great heat swim, the team then worked on what they were going to do in the final when we switched in three new swimmers. To come away from a world championships with a bronze medal for seven athletes in what is now a new Olympic event in Tokyo is a tremendous effort.”
The national relay mark was Masse’s second Canadian record of the night. She shaved 0.03 off her own previous best in the 50-metre backstroke with a time of 27.64, but finished 10th, just 0.04 seconds short of earning a spot in Thursday’s final.
Masse will return to the pool Friday for the 200-metre backstroke. Both she and Hilary Caldwell of Victoria are ranked top-five in the world at the distance. Caldwell, 26, owns Olympic and world championship bronze medals in the event, but Masse beat her by .06 seconds at the Canadian swimming trials.
Meanwhile Wednesday, American Katie Ledecky finally discovered what it felt like to lose.
Bidding to become only the second female swimmer to win six golds at a single worlds, Ledecky settled for silver in the 200-metre freestyle when Italy’s Federica Pellegrini surged to a stunning victory on the final lap.
Pellegrini, the world-record holder, touched first in 1 minute, 54.73 seconds, while Ledecky and Australia’s Emma McKeon tied for the silver at 1:55.18.
Ledecky had been 12 of 12 over the last three world championships, with three gold so far in Budapest.
“I didn’t really feel at the end that I had that extra gear that I normally have,” said the 20-year-old Stanford student from the Washington, D.C., suburbs. “I didn’t really see much for the last 50.”
The world championships continue through Sunday. Finals begin at 11:30 a.m. each day and will be streamed live by CBC.
That mixed relay is something I’ve never done before and isn’t offered at a lot of meets. You get more excited and there’s more energy so it was a really fun experience.