Canada’s gold medal winner Kylie Jacqueline Masse celebrates after setting a new world record in the women’s 100-meter backstroke final during the swimming competitions of the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

Canada’s gold medal winner Kylie Jacqueline Masse celebrates after setting a new world record in the women’s 100-meter backstroke final during the swimming competitions of the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
Photo Credit: Michael Sohn

Canadian swimmer Masse sets 100-metre backstroke record, makes history

Canadian swimmer Kylie Masse made history today becoming the first-ever female Canadian swimmer to win a world title.

Masse won gold in the women’s 100-metre backstroke with a world-record time of 58.10 seconds Tuesday at the world aquatics championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The 21-year-old swimmer broke the longest-standing record in women’s swimming of 58.12 seconds set by British swimmer Gemma Spofforth at the 2009 world championships in Rome.

Masse, a native of Windsor, Ontario, is the first Canadian to hold the record since 17-year-old Wendy Cook set a world record in the 100m backstroke in the first leg of the women’s 4x100m medley relay at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Canada’s gold medal winner Kylie Jacqueline Masse is flanked by United States’ silver medal winner Kathleen Baker, left, and Australia’s bronze medal winner Emily Seebohm, right, during the ceremony for the women’s 100-meter backstroke final during the swimming competitions of the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
Canada’s gold medal winner Kylie Jacqueline Masse is flanked by United States’ silver medal winner Kathleen Baker, left, and Australia’s bronze medal winner Emily Seebohm, right, during the ceremony for the women’s 100-meter backstroke final during the swimming competitions of the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. © Darko Bandic

Kathleen Baker of the United States was second in 58.58 seconds and Australia’s Emily Seebohm was third in 59.59.

Masse’s gold was Canada’s first of the championships. She became the first Canadian swimmer to set a record since Annamay Pierce set the 200-metre long-course breaststroke record in the semifinals of the 2009 championships.

Masse won bronze in the 100m backstroke at Rio 2016, setting a national record in the process. She also swam the leadoff backstroke leg for the 4x100m medley relay that set a national record in finishing fifth. Masse represented Canada at the World University Games in 2015 where she won gold in the 100m backstroke.

With files from The Associated Press and CBC News

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