2017 CANADIAN FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: KYLIE MASSE
The Canadian women have received a lot of good press these last two years or so, but this time, it’s not about the teenagers.
2017 World Champion Kylie Masse is the Canadian female swimmer of the year, and for good reason. It was Masse, after all, who took down the supersuited 100 back world record this summer in Budapest. Not 2012 Olympic darling Missy Franklin, not Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu, not Aussie star Emily Seebohm. Gemma Spofforth’s 58.12 WR always seemed just within reach, and in August, Masse was the one to surpass it with a 58.10 in the final in Budapest.
Additionally, Masse set new Canadian records in both the 50 and 200 long course meter backstrokes in 2017.
Swimming for the University of Toronto, Masse was crowned champion in all three backstroke races at the 2017 U Sport Championships in February.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
In no particular order
- SYDNEY PICKREM – Pickrem was a force in the 400 IM at the 2017 World Championships, landing on the podium with a bronze medal. Her time of 4:32.88 was just off of the Canadian record and just tenths back of silver medalist Mireia Belmonte. She also set a new Canadian record in the 200 IM semifinals in Budapest with a 2:09.17.
- TAYLOR RUCK – Though she wasn’t at the 2017 Budapest World Championships, Ruck won one individual gold, one individual silver, and five relay golds at the 2017 World Junior Championships. Four of those five relays set new World Junior records. Ruck also has impressed in the last month of 2017, tying the Canadian 200 free record in long course and breaking the Canadian 200 back record in short course.
Kylie is the deserving winner of Swimmer of the Year. A WR and WC title all in the same race.
Canada has had some good backstrokers over the years. Maybe more good backstrokers than other events.
They also have a lot of good junior freestyle swimmers that will likely be threats in the future, but apart from Oleksiak and Ruck (who are already better than most in their peak), they’re not quite there yet.