Canada's Kylie Masse Breaks World Record at FINA Swimming Championship

The Ontario native won the gold medal at this year's FINA Championship.

masse kylie
Image via Associated Press
masse kylie

Canadian athletes are on a bit of a tear this week. First, we found out that Timberwolves star, Andrew Wiggins, was close to signing a record-breaking contract to stay with his team. Then rugby sensation, Adam Zaruba, turned heads in the NFL signing a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Just when we thought things were going to slow down, in came 21-year-old Olympian, Kylie Masse. The talented swimmer from LaSalle, Ontario, crushed it at the FINA World Championships on Tuesday, taking home the gold medal and setting a record in the process.

If Masse’s name rings a bell, it's likely because you watched her compete in last year’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Kylie was a part of 2016's dominant Canadian swimming team, along with teenage wonder, Penny Oleksiak. Today at the FINA tournament in Budapest, Masse proved to be the star, placing first on the podium with a world record time of 58.10 in the women’s 100-metre backstroke. 

This amazing accomplishment means that the swimmer is the first Canadian woman to win a World Championship and the first to hold a world record since Annamay Pierse in 2009. Kylie is also the very first Canuck to claim the 100-metre record since Wendy Cook in 1974.

Speaking with CBC Sports, Masse expressed her sheer excitement and cited confidence as a main factor for her historic win. "After the Olympics I just gained a lot more confidence in myself and experience. I gained a lot from just doing that routine for a week, doing prelims, semis and finals. All that experience really helps and makes you feel more confident."

As to how she felt in the incredible moment, "I don't think it's really sunk in yet," Masse said. "I touched the wall, I looked back and I had to make sure I was looking at the right name and the right time.” You can check out Kylie’s win below via CBC's Twitter account, and be sure to look out for her in the future. It's safe to assume that Masse is on the rise.

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