Maggie MacNeil sets a world record in the 50 meter backstroke – London | The Canadian News

London Ontario, Maggie MacNeil didn’t just win another gold medal at the FINA World Swimming Championships.

MacNeil set a world record in the 50-meter short backstroke.

The 21-year-old fell 0.33 seconds off the mark of Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands, swimming two lengths of the pool in 25.27 seconds. Toussaint set a new record in November 2020 in an International Swimming League race and then broke it again in a meet in Amsterdam a month later.

MacNeil showed his power and continued to harness a very special ability that has been described by one of MacNeil’s former coaches, Andrew Craven with the London Aquatic Club.

“It’s the subsea segment where it’s the best in the world,” Craven said. “Once it became clear that doing underwater kicks with dolphins was a really valuable skill to develop and nurture, we would tell even our youngest swimmers to try three kicks underwater from the wall and Maggie would always do what their coaches asked. It started with three and now makes 10. “

The 50 meter stroke in a 50 meter pool has no twist and therefore there is no opportunity to move like MacNeil under the surface, but the pool that is used in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for the World Short Course ”Takes place in a field of 25 meters. Pool, presenting the opportunity to turn.

“You want to go as far as you can underwater as fast as you can,” Craven said. “You can dive 15 meters underwater, but if you don’t do it fast, it’s not much. That’s Maggie’s trick. She takes those kicks with absolute maximum power. It is no longer his secret weapon, but it is his best weapon. “

The championships continue through Tuesday.

MacNeil now has three gold medals after she and her teammates from Canada won the 4 × 100-meter freestyle and the 4 × 50-meter mixed freestyle.