Canada wins world championship bronze in mixed 4x100m freestyle relay
Team Canada has its third swimming medal of the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest after the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team won bronze on Saturday.
The quartet of Yuri Kisil, Javier Acevedo, Chantal Van Landeghem and Penny Oleksiak combined for a Canadian record 3:23.55 to finish behind the United States, which posted a world record time of 3:19.60, and the Netherlands in 3:21.81.
Kisil put Canada into third place with his opening leg. Acevedo, swimming just 20 minutes after his 50m backstroke semifinal, dropped Canada back to seventh, but in the close race Van Landeghem was able to move them up to fourth before Oleksiak dove in and got Canada back into bronze medal position, touching the wall ahead of Japan.
“I love it, it’s the most exciting event in my eyes. You never know who’s going to win until they touch the wall, so it’s pretty cool. With guys and girls racing each other, there can be a huge lead and all of a sudden that lead can just drop,” Kisil was quoted by Swimming Canada.
In an interesting note, all eight teams in the final elected to have their men do the first two legs with the women closing it out.
(L-R) Chantal Van Landeghem, Yuri Kisil, Markus Thormeyer and Sandrine Mainville after the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay heats at the 2017 FINA World Championships (Swimming Canada/Ian MacNicol)
Canada had been the third-fastest qualifier for the final after the morning preliminary heats which featured Kisil, Markus Thormeyer, Sandrine Mainville and Van Landeghem posting a time of 3:25.07. All six swimmers will receive medals.
Not yet an Olympic event, the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay made its world championship debut in 2015 where Canada also won the bronze medal. Kisil, Mainville and Van Landeghem were all part of that podium finish.
RELATED: Masse breaks 100m backstroke world record to win world title
RELATED: Team Canada swimmers capture world championship bronze in mixed medley relay
On Tuesday Kylie Masse broke the world record in the 100m backstroke to become Canada’s first ever female world champion in swimming. A day later she was back on the podium as a member of the mixed 4x100m medley relay that won bronze in the event that will make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. Oleksiak, Kisil, Acevedo and Van Landeghem were all members of that team and are now also double medallists at this year’s FINA World Championships which come to a close on Sunday.
