'Etched my name in history': Kylie Masse talks to CBC about winning bronze at Paris Olympics

With the Paris Games set to wrap up with Sunday's closing ceremony, University of Toronto alumna Kylie Masse says she’s proud to have secured her place in history as the first Canadian swimmer to win an individual Olympic medal in three consecutive Games, CBC reports.

Masse, who graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education in 2019, took home the bronze in the women's 200-metre backstroke final in Paris last week, adding to her impressive medal collection. 

Masse first ascended the podium during her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, clinching bronze in the 100-metre backstroke. She earned both individual and team accolades at the previous Summer Games in Tokyo, capturing silver in the women’s 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke events, alongside a bronze in the women’s 4x100-metre medley relay.

In addition to her third-place win in Paris, Masse also achieved fourth-place finishes in the 100-metre backstroke and 4x100-metre team medley.

"To really be on the podium here was my goal," Masse told CBC. "But it's also such a dream to … know that I've kind of etched my name in history."

Masse was joined by four fellow Varsity Blues alumni at the Summer Games, including badminton star Michelle Li, volleyball player Heather Bansley, and track and field competitors Jazz Shukla and Lucia Stafford.

U of T talent will also be on display at the upcoming Paralympic Games, which run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, with former Blues rower Alina Dumas representing Brazil as the coxswain of its PR3 coxed four crew.

Read more about Kylie Masse at CBC