Kylie Masse storms into 100m backstroke semifinals
GLASGOW, Scotland – Oliver Dawson led the Canadian charge in the pool on the second day of the Commonwealth Games but came up .05 shy of the podium in the men’s 100-metre breaststroke final.
Competing in his first Commonwealth Games, the 18-year-old from Grand Prairie, Alta. fed off a successful summer to finish fourth against a deep men’s field with a time of 59.70, leading a trio of Canadians into the finals on Saturday evening.
Australia’s Sam Williamson took top spot in the race with a time of 59.17. Jersey’s Filib Nowacki swam to the silver medal with a time of 59.34. Adam Ramsay-Peaty, of England, rounded out the podium in third place with a time of 59.65.
Ella Jansen, of Burlington, Ont., earned a spot in the finals for the second-straight night. The Etobicoke Swim Club athlete placed eighth in the women’s 200-metre freestyle test with a time of 1:59.18.
Paralympian, Emma Van Dyk, was also seventh in the 200M S14 freestyle event. The Brock Niagara Aquatics swimmer clocked a time of 2:31.24.
“It was a great series of races from Oliver in the prelims, semis and final and now has more to come in the Games” said John Atkinson, High Performance Director and National Coach. “We also qualified five swimmers through to the finals tomorrow night including a great double for Josh Liendo.”
With Toronto’s Liendo locking up spots in Sunday’s 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre butterfly finals, Kylie Masse led the field into the 100-metre backstroke final after a stellar semis.
“The Commonwealth Games have been foundational for my journey in my career. It’s an incredible steppingstone for junior and senior athletes to just get the exposure on a little smaller scale,” said Masse, who won Commonwealth Games gold in the 100-metre backstroke in 2018. “I take a lot of pride in any opportunity I have to represent Canada, and I want to be the best version of myself when I do.”
Sophie Angus (HPC Ontario) also secured a spot in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke finale on Sunday.
The Canadian swim team is comprised of 12 Olympic Program and 12 Paralympic Program athletes at the Commonwealth Games, which are a unique among major international multi-sport events, bringing Olympic and Paralympic stream athletes together as one integrated team, creating an environment that has become one of the defining characteristics of the Commonwealth movement. Canada’s swimmers captured 19 medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The swimming competition runs July 24-29. Glasgow 2026 will welcome approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories competing across 10 sports, including six Para sports.
How to Watch
CBC is the Canadian home of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with daily television coverage from July 23 through Aug. 2. The Opening Ceremony airs Thursday, July 23 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Fans can also stream more than 1,200 hours of live competition on CBC Gem and CBC.ca, with a complete event schedule available across CBC’s digital platforms.