Kylie Masse Rips 27.23 50 Back At Spanish Spring Open, Would’ve Won Doha Gold

2024 SPANISH SPRING OPEN

  • February 21st – February 25th
  • Sabadell, Spain
  • LCM (50m)
  • Results

The 2024 Spanish Spring Open kicked off today from Sabadell and already we saw a national record bite the dust.

Racing in the men’s 400m free, Carlos Benito clocked a lifetime best of 3:47.98 to grab the gold. That not only got him to the wall first, but his outing established a new meet record and Spanish benchmark.

Both former records stood at the 3:48.96 Miguel Duran put on the books at the 2016 edition of this competition. That means the 19-year-old hacked off nearly a second en route to taking the title.

Entering this competition, Benito’s career-quickest rested at the 3:49.33 notched in April of that year. In fact, that marked the only other occasion Benito has been under the 3:50 threshold in the event. He now ranks 20th in the world.

Splits for Benito’s new 3:47.98 national record

Additional day one winners included Canada’s Kylie Masse taking the women’s 50m back in a head-turning performance.

The 28-year-old Olympian punched a time of 27.23 to top the podium by a second, crushing the previous meet record of 28.08 in the process.

That’s a super quick outing from Masse, with the result sitting just .05 outside her lifetime best and Canadian record of 27.18 registered at the 2022 Canadian World Trials.

She now ranks #2 in the world on the season and her time would have won gold at this year’s World Championships. Instead, it was American Claire Curzan who topped the Doha podium in 27.43.

2023-2024 LCM Women 50 Back

KayleeAUS
McKEOWN
10/20
26.86 WR
2Mollie
O'CALLAGHAN
AUS27.1604/19
3 Kylie
MASSE
CAN27.2302/21
4Xueer
WANG
CHN27.3509/25
5Letian
WAN
CHN27.4109/25
View Top 31»

The men’s 50m back saw Adrian Martin get it done for gold in 25.36 while Emma Cadens earned gold in the women’s 200m breast in 2:24.58.

Belgium’s Valentine Dumont put up the 4th-best time of her career to win the women’s 400m free. Dumont posted 4:09.51 tonight as the sole swimmer of the field under 4:12. Dumont owns a lifetime best of 4:06.27 in this event, a time she turned in for silver at last year’s Sette Colli Trophy.

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ooo
9 months ago

2:12.57 in prelims this morning

snailSpace
Reply to  ooo
9 months ago

Not baad. Excited for finals. 2:08-2:09 maybe?

North Sea
Reply to  snailSpace
9 months ago

2:08.44 in finals

Swemmer
9 months ago

Hoping Masse can return to her Tokyo form

"we've got a boil-over!"
9 months ago

This is great mid winter indicators for Masse. She’s been the absolute model of elite Backstroke consistency for 8 years now, with a slight dip in the past 12-16 months while she adjusted to new training base etc.
All the talk regarding Kaylee and Regan is justified, but never count out Kylie…🇨🇦⏱️
This happened a bit as well in the leadup to Tokyo with Smith and McKean trading world records, then suddenly Masse was right there again with multiple 57s and podiums.

Outside Smoke
Reply to  "we've got a boil-over!"
9 months ago

Her 200 back in Tokyo was the bravest I’ve ever seen. She just gunned it from the start and nearly pulled off the upset.

Hoping she has one last 57-second trick (or two) up her sleeve for Paris.

Diehard
9 months ago

Don’t go there with swims that would have podiumed. They didn’t show up so they didn’t podium. We know many many swims in the next month or so that would have medaled!

Pan Fan
Reply to  Diehard
9 months ago

We know that.

Some of us just love swimming data.

Joshua Liendo-Edwards-Smith
Reply to  Diehard
9 months ago

I don’t think they’re trying to devalue the actual winner. But it is relevant when looking at times to see what position it might have been at a major competition.

SwimCoach
9 months ago

I hate when they do these posts whether it be Carson Foster swimming a 400 IM at a little podunk Texas meet that would have won the Olympics or worlds or whatever that was. Or one like this. Guess what? If you’re not at the meet your time wouldn’t have one.

owen
Reply to  SwimCoach
9 months ago

the fact that it was a little podunk texas meet made that an even cooler story for someone who just barely missed the team. they’re not saying “this person deserved the gold medal” or anything

RealSlimThomas
Reply to  owen
9 months ago

Sure but you’re comparing apples to oranges. Race day conditions matter, anything from nerves to a crowded warm up pool.

gitech
9 months ago

58.80 (100 back) in mixed relay

snailSpace
Reply to  gitech
9 months ago

That’s really promising…

ScovaNotiaSwimmer
Reply to  gitech
9 months ago

Faster than she was all last year, except for leading off the relay at Worlds.
Great to see

Hhdjhdhd
9 months ago

Let’s go. The 100m back final this summer is going to be insane. Kaylee, Regan,Kyle, Claire or Ryhan

Pan Fan
Reply to  Hhdjhdhd
9 months ago

I feel it’s just gonna be Kaylee – Regan for gold.

The others will fight for bronze.

phelpsfan
Reply to  Pan Fan
9 months ago

As much as I’d like to be proven wrong (I’m Canadian) I’m gonna have to agree with you.

Joshua Liendo-Edwards-Smith
Reply to  Hhdjhdhd
9 months ago

Rhyan White for 100 back? Berkoff is faster than her and Curzan, seems she’s more likely.

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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