Just a day after breaking the 100 backstroke world record and becoming the first Canadian female swimming world champion, Kylie Masse of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues helped Canada's 4x100 mixed medley relay team to a bronze medal at the 2017 FINA World Championships on Wednesday in Budapest.
"It was such an incredible experience. That mixed relay is something I've never done before and isn't offered at a lot of meets," Masse said. "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."
Â
Masse swam the first leg of the relay in 58.22, just one-tenth of a second slower than her 58.10 record time yesterday, and was followed by Richard Funk in the breast stroke, 2016 Olympic sensation Penny Oleksiak in the butterly and Yuri Kisil in the freestyle.
Â
The team clocked a new Canadian record time of 3:41.25 to tie with China for the bronze medal.
"Kylie did her job," said Varsity Blues head coach Byron MacDonald. "Most teams lead with males in the backstroke as you get too far behind psychologically and are fighting waves being that far behind, but Kylie came up with a superb swim, just fractions above her world record."
Â
Â
Previously on the day, the LaSalle, Ont., lowered her Canadian mark in the 50-metre backstroke to 27.64 seconds, but the 21-year-old placed 10th in the semifinals and didn't advance. Masse's previous mark of 27.67 was set June 24, 2016 in Rome.
Â
