Ingrid Wilm wins 100m backstroke bronze at World Aquatics Championships
Ingrid Wilm added to Canada’s medal tally at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar by winning bronze in the women’s 100m backstroke on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old clocked a time of 59.18 seconds, which was just 0.06 back of silver medallist Iona Anderson of Australia. The two had battled for second place after making the turn into the home stretch. The gold medal went to American Claire Curzan, who finished in 58.29.
Wilm was racing in lane five, in the middle of the pool right next to Curzan, after posting the second-fastest time in the semifinals on Monday. The bronze is her first individual long course world championship medal, after contributing to bronze medals for the women’s 4x100m medley relay by swimming the preliminary heats in 2022 and 2023.
“I think it’s a great starting off point for this Olympic year,” Wilm said in a post-race interview on the pool deck. “For me, personally, it’s pretty exciting to get my first individual medal at the place where I started competitive swimming here in Doha so it feels like a bit of a full circle moment right now.”
Wilm has been on the rise the last few years. She placed fifth in the 100m backstroke at the last World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in 2023, one spot behind teammate Kylie Masse, a two-time Olympic medallist in the event who opted not to compete in Doha.
This past fall, Wilm won three bronze medals in the 100m backstroke in long course World Cup competitions. In 2022, she won 100m backstroke bronze at the short course (25m) world championships, tying with Curzan in that race.
READ: Sydney Pickrem swims to 200m IM silver at World Aquatics Championships
This is Canada’s third medal in as many days in the swimming pool in Doha. The podium party started with a bronze medal by the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay on Sunday and continued with Sydney Pickrem‘s silver in the women’s 200m individual medley on Monday. Wilm still has the 50m and 200m backstroke events to come this week. Competition continues in Doha through Sunday.
