Canada's backstroke big-gamer Kylie Masse focused on aquatics worlds, not 2028 Olympics

The best women's backstroker Canada has ever produced refuses to look deep into the future.

Five-time Olympic medallist Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., has her mind on the world swimming championship starting Saturday in Singapore, and not on Los Angeles in 2028.

The 50-metre backstroke added to the Olympic swim program in 2028 seems a boon for one of the best in the world at it, but the 29-year-old has yet to decide if she'll compete in her fourth Olympic Games.

"I am still in a position where I'm just kind of taking it moment by moment and figuring it out, and I'm not really putting any pressure on myself to commit to that at this point," Masse said.

"I am excited to see what I can do in it this year, but as far as 2028, I'm just kind of taking it day by day."

The 50 backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly have long been staples of world championships, but those sprints will make their Olympic debuts in L.A.

Masse won a world championship in the 50 backstroke in 2022. She was first at the turn of the 100 in Tokyo in 2021 en route to an Olympic silver medal.

The Canadian and American Regan Smith were tied for first at the half of last year's 100 in Paris, where Masse settled for fourth.

She won bronze in the 200 backstroke, however, and became the first Canadian swimmer to earn a medal in three consecutive Olympic Games.

The athlete able to combine the most power and the best technique wins the 50 metres, Masse said.

"Because it happens so fast, there's no room for error," she explained.

WATCH | Masse earns 50m backstroke bronze at short-course championships:

Kylie Masse earns 20th career world championship medal with bronze in 50-metre backstroke

After the longest post-Olympic break of her career, during which she