Kylie Masse Ties 2nd Fastest Swim Of All-Time With 58.18 100 Back

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
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Canadian Kylie Masse led the women’s 100 backstroke semi-finals in a time of 58.18, tying the 2nd fastest swim in history and missing the world record by just six one-hundredths of a second.

After winning bronze in Rio, Masse annihilated her Canadian Record at World Trials in April, clocking in at 58.21 for the 3rd fastest swim of all-time, and the fastest ever in a textile. She lowers that again by .03, tying Russia’s Anastasia Fesikova‘s 2009 mark. Great Britain’s Gemma Spofforth holds the world record at 58.12, also set in 2009.

Along with the Canadian Record, Masse also lowers her ‘Americas’ Record, which can be broken by swimmers from either North or South America.

While she was favored for gold coming into the meet, Masse is now the clear-cut favorite with that swim. Defending world champion Emily Seebohm finished 2nd in the semi-finals, nearly seven tenths back in 58.85. Americans Kathleen Baker (59.03) and Olivia Smoliga (59.07) will be in the mix for the medals after placing 3rd and 4th, and Fesikova was in there for 5th at 59.26.

Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu scratched this event to focus on the 200 IM tonight, while Fu Yuanhui of China, who tied with Masse for that Olympic bronze, missed the final in 13th place.