Kylie Masse Wins Her 20th World Championship Medal; Most Ever By a Canadian Swimmer

2024 Short Course World Championships

Canadian backstroker Kylie Masse has become her country’s all-time leader in World Championship medals in swimming. Her bronze medal in the 50 backstroke made her the first Canadian with 20 career World Championship medals at the long course and short course versions combined.

“It’s amazing to be able to reflect on my career thus far and to see those accolades with my name is something that I never would have imagined. Many of those medals were a part of relay teams so I feel very fortunate that I have such great teammates and have been given opportunities to race on relays in order to continue that count,” said the five-time Olympic medallist.

Masse picked off her teammate Ingrid Wilm by a tenth of a second to earn bronze and move her past the recently-retired Maggie MacNeil for the country’s all-time lead.

Of Masse’s 20 medals, nine have come at the World Aquatics Championships in long course and 11 have been at the World Short Course Championships. She has two this week: besides the 50 back, she swam the leadoff leg for the Canadian Record setting and silver medal winning mixed 200 medley relay.

The Masse File – World Championship Medals

Known for her consistency and reliability for Canada, Masse has medaled at basically every international championship meet from Canada since the 2016 Olympic Games. That includes five Olympic medals, nine Commonwelath Games medals, and a Pan Pac gold in 2018.

Masse moved to Spain with her coach Ben Titley in 2022. She is now moving into a different phase of her career and says that she has totally changed her training.

“I have been training very differently compared to what I’m used to,” Masse said. “I had a bit of a different approach leading into these championships and was trying to enjoy the process a little bit more. So to be able to come out with a medal individually means the world.”