Pickrem captures world silver, lowers personal best in women's 200m individual medley

Canadian swimmer Sydney Pickrem set a personal best on the way to collecting a silver medal Monday, covering the women's 200-metre medley in two minutes 8.56 seconds at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

She finished 1.51 seconds behind American Sarah Douglass (2:07.05) and 45-100ths of a second ahead of 18-year-old Chinese athlete Yu Yiting at the Aspire Dome.

It's Pickrem's fifth career medal and first since 2019 at long-course worlds (50m pool length) to tie Brent Hayden for ninth all-time among Canadians.

"It definitely means a lot," Pickrem told Swimming Canada. "I just feel really grateful for my support system that's been by my side. "

She will swim the 200 breaststroke Thursday, giving Pickrem a chance to match her two individual medals from 2019 worlds in Gwangju, South Korea.

She beat Yiting with a 2:08.76 effort in Sunday's semifinals, only 15-100ths off her previous best of 2:08.61 from the Canadian swim trials last March.

WATCH | Pickrem picks up world silver medal in women's 200-metre IM:

Eleven months ago, Pickrem withdrew from worlds in Fukuoka, Japan with what she'd called "crippling anxiety and depression."

"I definitely had bad years and bad days and struggle with my mental health throughout the years," Pickrem told The Canadian Press in October. "I don't think this was necessarily the first time. Sometimes I almost forget, once I'm doing well, to still check in and take care of myself.

"Someone asked me, 'Is that all behind you?' and I'm like depression and anxiety will never be behind me. It's going to be something I always have for the rest of my life, but I embrace it and I want to tackle it and be the best me I can be."

Four months ago, Pickrem won double gold at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile, where the 26-year-old took the women's 200 breaststroke and 200 medley in a Games record 2:09.04.

She is a dual Canadian-American citizen who was born in Florida and whose family is from Halifax.

Five days out from the Pan Am opening ceremony, the two-time Olympian won the women's 200 IM at a World Cup meet in Athens.

Ashley McMillan of Penticton, B.C., was eighth in her first world final in 2:13.48.