Masse swims to second gold at worlds
Don’t ask Kylie Masse to single out her favourite swim in world aquatic championships history.
The 23-year-old from LaSalle, Ont., is now part of an exclusive Canadian club with two golden moments.
Masse became just the second Canadian swimmer to win two world championship gold medals when she defended her title in the women’s 100 metre backstroke on Tuesday. The late Victor Davis of Guelph, Ont., also won twice at the worlds.
“I think it’s comparable,” said Masse, who also captured gold at the most recent world championships with a then-world record time of 58.10 seconds in Hungary in 2017. “To be a gold medallist is a dream come true. They both have their own feelings to them and they both feel great.”
The University of Toronto student was fourth at the turn, but charged home to win in 58.60 seconds, 0.25 seconds ahead of Minna Atherton of Australia. Olivia Smoliga of the United States took bronze.
Taylor Ruck of Kelowna finished fourth, just 0.05 seconds behind Smoliga.
Masse was well aware there was a different challenge as defending champ.
“It’s definitely something I’ve been working on,” said Masse, who won bronze in the same event at the 2016 Rio Olympics and also took gold in the 100 backstroke at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.
“I’ve been focusing on myself and not letting the pressure or expectations get to me.”
Swimming Canada high performance director and national coach John Atkinson was impressed.
“When you come into any major championships and Games as defending champion, there’s a whole different level of expectation on the athlete that wasn’t there beforehand,” Atkinson said. “I think that Kylie handled herself tremendously. To come back, get a gold medal, get her hand on the wall first, her experience came through over that second 50, and she is a true champion.”
It marked Canada’s second gold in as many days. Maggie MacNeil won the women’s 100 metre butterfly, while Sydney Pickrem copped bronze in the women’s 200 metre individual medley with Masse in the facility on Monday.
“It was pretty incredible,” Masse said. “They definitely gave me motivation and inspiration to swim fast.”
After the world championships wrap up on the weekend, Masse will go home for a few weeks of rest before resuming training at school. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, of course, are just a year away.
“I want to continue to improve,” Masse said. “I would love to be better with my time and that’s my goal. But right now I’m over the moon to win here again.”
Meanwhile, quadruple Olympic medallist Penny Oleksiak of Toronto advanced to the women’s 200 metre freestyle final on Wednesday by finishing seventh in the semis in a personal best 1:56.41.
“I felt really good going out but I let it get a little bit away from me,” said Oleksiak, who led the first 150 metres of her semifinal. “I’ve been trying to work on the front half of all of my races. I just need to get more confident with that.”
Mack Darragh of Oakville, Ont., finished 14th in the men’s 200 metre semis and did not advance.
Canada now has two gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the 17-day event, which features swimming, artistic swimming, diving and water polo.