Windsor’s Own Kylie Masse Finishes 4th at 2025 World Aquatics Championships
Canadian swimming star Kylie Masse narrowly missed the podium in the women’s 100-metre backstroke final at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Tuesday, July 29. The 29-year-old from LaSalle, Ontario, finished fourth with a time of 58.42 seconds, just 0.27 seconds behind American Katharine Berkoff, who took bronze with a time of 58.15 seconds.
In a thrilling final that featured the world’s elite backstroke specialists, Australia’s Kaylee McKeown dominated the race, capturing gold with a championship record time of 57.16 seconds. American Regan Smith claimed silver with a time of 57.35 seconds.
The result mirrored Masse’s finish at the Paris Olympics last summer, where the same three swimmers claimed the podium positions while she placed fourth.
Despite falling short of a medal, Masse maintained a positive perspective on her performance: “I really didn’t know what to expect in the 100 just because I hadn’t done much compared to what I was doing for the last quad. I was really surprised to make the team with a 58.18 at trials and was kind of hoping to build off of that coming into here,” said Masse after the race.
“But I really can’t complain and I have to keep things in perspective with that tonight. To be fourth in the world and still be up there, competitive with the top and with those girls who I know are incredible swimmers, it’s something that I’m really proud of.”
Fellow Canadian Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., finished seventh in the same event with a time of 59.59 seconds.
Masse’s fourth-place finish in Singapore represents a rare occasion where she has missed the podium in a major international event. Her remarkable consistency at the highest level has established her as one of Canada’s greatest swimmers of all time.
Masse’s Olympic journey began at Rio 2016, where she claimed bronze in the 100m backstroke at just 20 years old. This breakthrough performance marked the beginning of an extraordinary international career.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), Masse elevated her performance, capturing silver medals in both the 100m and 200m backstroke events, setting a new Canadian record in the latter. She also contributed to Canada’s bronze medal in the 4×100m medley relay.
Most recently, at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Masse made history by becoming the first Canadian swimmer to win an individual medal at three consecutive Olympic Games. Her bronze in the 200m backstroke increased her career Olympic medal count to five, placing her second all-time among Canadian swimmers behind only Penny Oleksiak (7). At 28 years and 197 days old during those Games, she also became the oldest Canadian woman to win a swimming medal at the Olympics.
Masse’s path to international swimming stardom began in Windsor, Ontario. Before becoming an Olympic and world champion, she competed for the University of Toronto, where she established herself as one of the most dominant collegiate swimmers in Canadian history.
At 29 years old, Masse continues to compete at an elite level against a new generation of backstroke specialists. While she has previously hinted at the possibility of retirement after the Paris Olympics, stating, “I think that’s just what comes with being in the sport for eight years on that stage,” her qualification and performance at the 2025 World Championships demonstrates her continued dedication to the sport.
Whether Singapore marks one of her final international competitions or the beginning of a push toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Masse has already secured her legacy as one of Canada’s greatest swimmers and a pioneer in backstroke events on the world stage.