The 30-year-old from Pont-Rouge, Que., finished strong for a time of 2:07.61 to claim the gold. It’s the third Commonwealth Games medal for Lacroix, who won silver in the 200 in 2010 and also captured bronze in the 100 at the 2006 Games.
“I really wanted gold. I already have a bronze and silver in Commonwealth Games so it’s really a special thing to get a gold tonight,” said Lacroix, who had a look of disbelief on her face after touching the wall first.
“I looked a little bit confused but I just couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was kind of in shock. I knew I did a good race. I had a pretty good feeling in the water.
“Everything went like I planned it. I watched my pace with my coach after the race and I was exactly where I wanted to be. I expected a tight race and that’s what it was.”
It was Canada’s seventh swimming medal – and third gold – so far at the Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Brittany MacLean got Monday’s finals started right for Canada as she won the first major individual medal of her international career.
The 20-year-old from Etobicoke, Ont., touched the wall third to add the 800-m freestyle bronze to the 4x200-m freestyle relay silver she helped win earlier in the Games.
“I had so much fun getting the silver the other night with the relay team and I really wanted to do one also individually,” MacLean said. “I knew I was capable of a really good swim. I’ve been working hard all year so I just wanted to put it together when it mattered.”
MacLean’s time of 8:20.91 was four full seconds faster than her national record set in April at Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria, and just 0.32 behind silver medallist Lauren Boyle of New Zealand. Jazz Carlin of Wales was the winner in 8:18.11, a new Commonwealth Games record
“I started my final push a little bit early just because I was so close and I could tell that I was close. So I was hurting a little bit coming home but it’s an 800, you’re always going to be hurting coming home and you don’t want to have that regret that I had something left in the tank. I just tried to focus on my own race but at the same time they’re two of the best girls in the world right beside me, so I’m trying to give it everything I have,” MacLean said. “I knew I was capable of a really good swim. I’ve been working hard all year so I just wanted to put it together when it mattered. I couldn’t ask for more – four-second best time and a bronze medal at Commonwealth Games. I’m just super happy. It felt great and I’m excited to race again tomorrow.
It’s been a breakout year for the promising young swimmer, who has set Canadian and NCAA records and been named NCAA Swimmer of the Year after an injury-plagued 2013.
MacLean has one more chance at a medal with the 400-m freestyle set for Tuesday. She was a finalist in that event at the 2012 Olympics in London, earning Swimming Canada’s Junior Swimmer of the Year award for her seventh-place performance.
Meanwhile, Tera Van Beilen of the High Performance Centre – Vancouver finished sixth in the women’s 100-m breaststroke at 1:08.58, while Kierra Smith of Kelowna, B.C., was seventh at 1:08.83.
Canada had three Montreal-based women in the 100-m freestyle final: Victoria Poon and Sandrine Mainville tied for sixth at 55.15, while Alyson Ackman was eighth at 55.47.
Calgary’s Russell Wood was seventh in the men’s 200-m backstroke at 1:59.32, a personal best. Richard Funk of Edmonton came eighth in the men’s 50-m breaststroke at 28.21.
In semifinal action, Calgary’s Brooklynn Snodgrass moved through to Tuesday’s 50-m backstroke final in fourth position at 28.25.
Fellow Calgarian Yuri Kisil, 18, just missed the men’s 50-m freestyle final by 0.02, finishing ninth at 22.57.
