DOHA, Qatar — Canada's Sydney Pickrem picked up her second medal of the world aquatics championships with a bronze in Friday's women's 200-metre breaststroke.
Pickrem finished in a time of two minutes 22.94 seconds behind winner Tes Schouten of the Netherlands (2:19.81) and American Kate Douglass (2:20.91).
The 26-year-old built from fifth at the 50-metre mark to fourth at the halfway point then moved into third heading into the final turn.
“Every (medal) is so special in their own right," Pickrem said. "It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to really compete in 200 breast internationally and I’m starting to get back into that this year.
"Being back at 2:22, it’s been a while since I’ve been there."
Pickrem, who was born in Florida but is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada through her family from Halifax, won silver in the women's 200 individual medley earlier at the world championships.
She now has six long-course world championship medals, five of them in individual events, over her career, passing Brent Hayden for all-time medals among Canadians. She now stands tied for eighth – seventh among women – with former teammate Kayla Sanchez.
“It means a lot. Back in Gwangju when Kylie (Masse) and I were getting up there those moments definitely feel special," Pickrem said. "And Brent and (his wife) Nadina have been so supportive. They message every single race, so to surpass him feels a little sweet."
Pickrem has been back in form since withdrew from last year’s world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, for mental health reasons. Her two medals in Doha match the two individual medals she won at the 2019 worlds in Gwangju, South Korea.
Canada has 10 medals in Doha (two gold, three silver, five bronze) heading into the final weekend of competition. Canadian swimmers have accounted for six of them (one gold, one silver, four bronze).
Earlier Friday, Finlay Knox of Okotoks, Alta., and Calgary's Ingrid Wilm failed to come out of their semifinals a night after earning medals.
Knox, who won the men’s 200 individual medley Thursday, finished 12th in the 100 butterfly with a time of 52.07 in his semifinal.
Wilm, who has earned bronze in the 50 and 100-m backstroke, followed up with a 13th-place finish in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:11.88
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press
