Kylie Masse Goes Sub-59 To Lead Prelims of Women’s 100 Backstroke

kylie-masse-

World Swimming Championships (Women’s 100 Backstroke Prelims)

Gwangju 2019

Canada’s Kylie Masse had the top swim in the heats in the women’s 100 back with a 58.91 to lead the qualifiers into the semifinals. She was the only swimmer to break 59 seconds in the heats and finished ahead of the Australian duo of Minna Atherton (59.22) and Kaylee McKeown (59.25), as they appeared to feed off the momentum from Australia winning both women’s events last night.

The USA’s Kathleen Baker (59.31) and Olivia Smoliga (59.55) are the fourth and fifth seeds following solid morning swims. They were in the same heat with a Korean athlete and the crowd noise was hindering the starter. Regardless, they qualified for the semifinals in a good position, which was especially a good sign for Baker, the world-record holder who has dealt with her share of illness and injury this year.

Canada’s Taylor Ruck swam her first individual event of the World Championships and posted a 59.82 to get sixth in the heats. Great Britain’s Georgia Davies (59.84) and the Czech Republic’s Simona Kubova (59.99) rounded out the top eight qualifiers.

Italy’s Margherita Panziera, who will be dangerous later in the week in the 200 back, is the ninth seed at 59.99. The semifinals will be highly competitive as it could take a 59-mid to make the final tonight.

Notably, Katinka Hosszu scratched out of the heats this morning to focus on her 200 IM final tonight. Hosszu did the same thing at the last three World Championships, scratching the 100 back at some point to focus on the 200 IM. Hosszu is the top seed for that event and is going for a fourth straight world title.

1 MASSE Kylie Canada CAN 58.91
2 ATHERTON Minna Australia AUS 59.22
3 MCKEOWN Kaylee Australia AUS 59.25
4 BAKER Kathleen United States of America USA 59.31
5 SMOLIGA Olivia United States of America USA 59.55
6 RUCK Taylor Canada CAN 59.82
7 DAVIES Georgia Great Britain GBR 59.84
8 KUBOVA Simona Czech Republic CZE 59.95
9 PANZIERA Margherita Italy ITA 59.99
10 SAKAI Natsumi Japan JPN 1:00.05
11 RIEDEMANN Laura Germany GER 1:00.15
12 TOUSSAINT Kira Netherlands NED 1:00.27
13 FESIKOVA Anastasiia Russian Federation RUS 1:00.38
14 LOYNING Ingeborg Norway NOR 1:00.47
15 CHEN Jie People’s Republic of China CHN 1:00.64
16 VASKINA Daria Russian Federation RUS 1:00.66

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