2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
- Friday, July 29 – Wednesday, August 3, 2022
- Birmingham, England
- Sandwell Aquatic Center
- Start Times
- Prelims: 10:30 am local / 5:30 am ET
- Finals: 7:00 pm local / 2:00 pm ET
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Event Schedule
- Entry List (PDF)
- Live Results
- Day 5 Finals Heat Sheet
- Day 5 Finals Live Recap
WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS
- World Record: 26.98, Liu Xiang (CHN) – 2018
- Commonwealth Record: 27.16, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2021
Commonwealth Games Record: 27.56, Georgia Davies (WAL) – 2014- 2018 Commonwealth Champion: Emily Seebohm (AUS), 27.78
Finals Qualifiers:
- Kylie Masse (CAN), 27.47 GR
- Medi Harris (WAL), 27.64
- Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 27.75
- Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 27.76
- Bronte Job (AUS), 27.79
- Lauren Cox (ENG), 27.91
- Danielle Hill (NIR), 28.28
- Rebecca Meder (RSA), 28.69
In the second semifinal of the women’s 50 back, world champion Kylie Masse roared to a new Commonwealth Games record. She swam 27.47, breaking the record by .09 seconds, which was set at the 2014 Games by Georgia Davies. Masse used her lightning start to power to the win, qualifying for the Day 6 final as the top seed.
Masse threatened the record in prelims, posting 27.57 to come within one-hundredth of a second of it. In the 100 and the 200 backstroke, she’s been off the times she went in Budapest. However, she’s clearly feeling good in the sprint, and given the fact that she won her world championship title in 27.31, Masse could lower the Games record again in finals.
In finals, she’ll be pushed by her usual rival Kaylee McKeown, along with Medi Harris, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Bronte Job. Through the rounds though, Masse has established herself as the clear favorite in the event (if she wasn’t already) and is in prime position to win her first gold medal of the meet.
Masse took silver in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. McKeown beat her both times, taking down Masse’s Commonwealth Games records in the events.
Though the 50 back is Masse’s final individual event of the competition, she should also be a key factor on the Canadian women’s medley relay in the final session of the meet.
