Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil sets world record, takes backstroke gold at short course worlds | CBC Sports

Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil set a new world record on her way to her second gold medal at the world short course championships in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday.

The Canadian blazed to a time of 25.25 seconds in the 50-metre backstroke to claim the top spot on the podium, ahead of American Claire Curzan (25.54), and Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan (25.61).

Fellow Canadian Kylie Masse, of La Salle, Ont., finished just off the podium in fourth with a time of 25.81.

Mac Neil, of London, Ont., already had a gold medal in the 50-m butterfly on Wednesday, as well as a bronze medal win as part of the Canadian team in the 4x100m final on Tuesday.

In the men’s 100m medley, a pair of Canadian swimmers captured medals by breaking the national record in the event. Toronto’s Javier Acevedo took silver in 51.05 while Finlay Knox, of Okotoks, Alta., swam to bronze in 51.10. Both swimmers touched the wall ahead of Acevedo’s previous Canadian record time.

Italian Thomas Ceccon won the race in 50.97.

In other Canadian results, Sydney Pickrem of Toronto posted a personal best 58.26 in the women’s 100 individual medley, finishing fourth, while Mary-Sophie Harvey, of Trois-Rivières, Que., was eighth (59.11). Pickrem was also sixth (2:19.35) in the women’s 200m breaststroke final.

The men’s 4×200 freestyle relay team of Knox, Acevedo, Toronto’s Ruslan Gaziev, and Montreal’s Ilya Kharun set a new Canadian record on the way to a seventh-place finish in the final. The four Canadians posted a time of 6:56.02, obliterating the previous record of 7:05.77.

Competition in Melbourne runs through Sunday.