Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil swam to her second world record and third gold medal on the final day of the world short course championships in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday.
Mac Neil, from London. Ont., picked up her latest gold by blazing to a world-record time in the women’s 100-metre butterfly final, finishing in 54.05 seconds.
American Torri Huske, who tied for gold with Mac Neil in the 50-m butterfly final on Wednesday, concluded behind the Canadian in 54.75. Sweden’s Louise Hansson took bronze in 54.87, while Canada’s Katerine Savard was eighth in 56.87.
It has been an incredibly successful week for Mac Neil in Melbourne, and that was recognized on Sunday. She was warded the Best Female Swimmer Award on Sunday for her overall performance at the event, which involved the two butterfly gold medals, helping Canada to three bronze medals in relays events, and another individual gold and world record in the 50-m backstroke.
Mac Neil wasn’t the only record-breaking Canadian on Sunday
Ilya Kharun swam to a new world junior record in the men’s 100-m butterfly, also earning a silver medal.
The 17-year-old Kharun, who was born in Montreal and lives in Las Vegas, finished in 49.03. That was second only to South African star Chad Le Clos (48.59).
Rebecca Smith, of Red Deer, Alta., earned silver in the women’s 200-m freestyle. Her time of 1:52.24 was second only Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who won the final in 1:51.65.
Backstroke specialist Kylie Masse captured bronze in the women’s 200 event, finishing in 2:01.26, just ahead of Canadian teammate Ingrid Wilm (2:01.78). Australian Kylee McKeown won gold in 1:59.26 while American Claire Curzan took silver (2:00.53).
In the women’s 4×100 medley, Mac Neil and Wilm teamed up with Sydney Pickrem and Taylor Ruck to win bronze. The Canadians concluded in 3:46.22, with the Americans taking gold with a new world-record mark of 3:44.35. Australia picked up the silver in 3:44.92. Canada ends the world short course championships with a total of 14 medals; three gold, four silver, and seven bronze.
