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Masse, Oleksiak produce golden performances at Swiss swim meet

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ZURICH –  World champion Kylie Masse collected two gold medals and Olympic champ Penny Oleksiak also tasted victory on Saturday in a five-medal Canadian performance at the Einladung Invitational swimming competition.

Masse, from Windsor, Ont., came within 0.2 seconds of her Canadian record in the 50-m backstroke clocking 27.84 seconds. Alicja Tchorz of Poland was second in 28.85 and Elena Gemo of Italy third in 29.07.

In the 200-m backstroke, Masse clocked a meet record 2:07.47 in a decisive victory. Margherita Panziera of Italy was second in 2:09.86 and Kata Burian of Italy third in 2:11.19.

Masse will look for a golden backstroke sweep on Sunday in the 100-m race. She won gold in the event last year at the world championships becoming Canada’s first female swimming world champion.

Oleksiak, from the Toronto Swim Club, was also a double medallist. She won the 100-m freestyle in a meet record 53.94 more than half second ahead of Marie Wattel of France second in 54.53. Maria Ugolkova of Switzerland was third in 55.40.

Wattel turned the tables on Oleksiak in the 50-m butterfly clocking a meet record 26.03 to edge the Canadian second in 26.11. Kimberly Buys of Belgium was third in 26.65.

Hannah Genich of Cobourg, Ont., added a bronze for Canada in the women’s 200-m butterfly clocking 2:13.77 less than second off the silver medal position.

Canadian men finalists were Scott McGillivray of Regina with fourth in the 100-m freestyle and Nitski Osvald of Toronto seventh in the 200-m fly.

Competition ends Sunday.