Masse wins second backstroke silver of Tokyo 2020
Kylie Masse has won her second medal of Tokyo 2020, taking silver in the women’s 200m backstroke.
Swimming in lane 6, Masse was first to the turn at 50m. She maintained that position through the midway mark, using her natural speed to her advantage. As they got to the turn again at 150m, Masse was still leading but Australian Kaylee McKeown, who had won gold in the 100m backstroke in Tokyo, was catching up and soon passed Masse. She out-touched Masse at the wall by 0.74 of a second as the Canadian came in for the silver in 2:05.42, taking about half a second off her own national record.
Canadian swimmer Kylie Masse competes in the Women’s 200m Backstroke finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Saturday, July 31, 2021. Photo by Leah Hennel/COC *MANDATORY CREDIT* 
Canadian swimmer Kylie Masse celebrates after winning silver in the Women’s 200m Backstroke finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Saturday, July 31, 2021. Photo by Leah Hennel/COC *MANDATORY CREDIT*
This silver follows the one she won earlier in the week during the 100m backstroke, the event in which she also won a bronze medal at Rio 2016. Masse is just the fourth swimmer to finish as the runner-up in both the women’s 100m and 200m backstroke events at the same Olympic Games, but the first to do so since Atlanta 1996. This is just the second time that the women’s 100m and 200m backstroke events have had the same gold and silver medallists, which last happened at Montreal 1976.
Masse had been seeded fourth for the final after swimming 2:07.82 in the semifinals. She was a bronze medallist in the 200m backstroke at the 2019 FINA World Championships.
It is Canada’s fifth swimming medal of Tokyo 2020, just one behind the total won in the pool at Rio 2016, with one day left in the competition program.
Taylor Ruck finished sixth in the event, having qualified for her first individual Olympic final.
