LaSalle’s Kylie Masse earns spot on FINA World Championships team

Kylie Masse shows off her Rio 2016 bronze medal at her former high school, Sandwich Secondary, in Windsor, Ont., on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. (Rich Garton / CTV Windsor)

A LaSalle woman is part of the team Swimming Canada announced to compete at the FINA World Championships.

Kylie Masse will join 32 swimmers representing Canada in Budapest, Hungary. The team includes 18 female and 14 male athletes.

The pool and open water athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their performances at the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials at Saanich Commonwealth Place this week in Victoria.

“I’m really looking forward to the summer,” said Masse of the High Performance Centre – Ontario, who won all three backstroke events and the 50-m butterfly at trials.

The world championships are scheduled for June 18-July 3, with pool swimming running the first eight days, followed by open water competition.

Masse, the two-time defending world champion in the 100-m backstroke, is also among those nominated to the Commonwealth Games team later this month. She also holds the Commonwealth titles in the 100 and 200 back.

“It will be a challenge with two big international meets but regardless I’m always excited to race and really looking forward to getting the national team together and seeing what we can do,” Masse said.

Masse is one of 17 team members with previous long-course world championships experience.

“I think it will be awesome, that’s the beauty of sport,” Masse said. “Having fresh new faces mixed with people that have years of experience is so powerful for learning in both directions. I’m really looking forward to welcoming fresh faces and also getting to know my current teammates even more.”

Swimming Canada High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson said he was pleased with the performances he saw at trials, which included multiple Canadian records.

“Trials are always exciting and seeing the performances through the week shows the athletes are in a great position leading into the summer championships, to work with their coaches to build and improve at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games,” said Atkinson.

A total of 23 swimmers have been nominated to the Commonwealth Games team due to the different selection criteria for the two events. The full Commonwealth Games team will be ratified later this month in partnership with Commonwealth Sport Canada, after the Paralympic program nominees for the team are confirmed.