{"id":325048,"date":"2018-08-10T04:21:19","date_gmt":"2018-08-10T11:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=325048"},"modified":"2019-06-30T14:32:09","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T21:32:09","slug":"kylie-masse-wins-battle-of-titans-in-100-back-at-pan-pacs-misses-world-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/kylie-masse-wins-battle-of-titans-in-100-back-at-pan-pacs-misses-world-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Kylie Masse Wins Battle of Titans in 100 Back at Pan Pacs; Misses World Record"},"content":{"rendered":"

The women’s 100 back, like the men’s 400 IM, was one of the most hyped races of the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. The three fastest swimmers in the world for the year,\u00a0Kathleen Baker\u00a0<\/strong>of the United States,\u00a0Kylie Masse\u00a0<\/strong>of Canada, and two-time defending Pan Pac champion\u00a0Emily Seebohm<\/strong> of Australia, were all facing one another in the final. Young stars\u00a0Regan Smith\u00a0<\/strong>of the United States and\u00a0Kaylee McKeown\u00a0<\/strong>of Australia were also in the final and could steal a medal.<\/p>\n

Baker (1st), Masse (2nd) and Seebohm (5th) are also all in the top eight all-time in the event, so surely it would take a world record to win the gold medal. Could we see someone go a 57 for the first time ever?<\/p>\n

But also like the men’s 400 IM, the swimmers in the final swam slower than expected. Baker broke the world record<\/a> at the US Nationals with a 58.00, but it was Masse on top in Tokyo with a 58.61, despite swimming faster in the heats<\/a> at 58.29.<\/p>\n

Masse won the gold while Seebohm got the silver at 58.72 and Baker got the bronze at 58.83.<\/p>\n

Smith finished in fourth at 58.95 but it was not good enough to get a World Championship spot in that event. Olivia Smoliga\u00a0<\/strong>was a 58.75 at Nationals and that will get the spot behind Baker for Gwangju next year. Smoliga won the B-Final tonight at 59.20.<\/p>\n

McKeown (59.25) and Japan’s\u00a0Natsumi Sakai\u00a0<\/strong>(59.33) also broke a minute in the final. McKeown moved up to ninth in the world rankings with her swim.<\/p>\n

Canada’s\u00a0Kennedy Goss\u00a0<\/strong>(1:00.90) finished in seventh while Japan’s\u00a0Anna Konishi\u00a0<\/strong>was disqualified.<\/p>\n

2018 World Rankings:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Kathleen Baker<\/strong>, USA, 58.00<\/li>\n
  2. Kylie Masse<\/strong>, CAN, 58.54<\/li>\n
  3. Emily Seebohm<\/strong>, AUS, 58.66<\/li>\n
  4. Olivia Smoliga<\/strong>, USA, 58.75<\/li>\n
  5. Regan Smith<\/strong>, USA, 58.83<\/li>\n
  6. Taylor Ruck<\/strong>, CAN, 58.97<\/li>\n
  7. Phoebe Bacon<\/strong>, USA, 59.12<\/li>\n
  8. Anastasia Fesikova<\/strong>, RUS, 59.19<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"100-back-women\"

    Photo Courtesy:<\/p><\/div>\n