A record-breaking performance in the women’s 100-m backstroke by Rio bronze medallist Kylie Masse highlighted the first night of finals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Swimming Trials recently held at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
Masse of LaSalle, Ont., was one of four swimmers provisionally nominated by Swimming
Canada’s Selection Committee earlier this year who cemented their Olympic status on Day 1.
Masse posted a finish of 57.70 seconds, the third fastest time ever in the women’s 100-m backstroke. She bested her own Canadian mark of 58.10 seconds, set at the 2017 FINA world championships, which stood as the world record at the time.
“The 58 [second] barrier, I’ve been kind of chomping at the bit to break it for a number of years now, so it feels amazing to have done that. I’m really pleased with myself,” said the two-time 100 backstroke world champion, a University of Toronto student who has been training at the High Performance Centre–Ontario. “Personally, I think it’s amazing seeing all the fast times around the world and I’ve tried to just stay in the present moment about what’s going on in our own country. I can only control competitions and training in our own country.”
A total of 184 swimmers from 65 clubs across the country competed in Toronto for spots on Team Canada for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games taking place July 23 to Aug. 8.
