Doha 2014, Day 5: Hosszu and Le Clos are also the best in Doha!

Katinka Hosszu (HUN) and Chad Le Clos (RSA) - Photo credit: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

The results of Hosszu in Doha were impressive: four wins accompanied by WR performances in the 100m and 200m back, 100m and 200m IM, silver medals in the 200m free, 200m fly and 400m IM, and one bronze in the 50m back.

In the men’s field, Le Clos' statistics are also outstanding. The South African leaves Doha with four individual titles, in the 200m free, 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly, and a WR in the 100m. Moreover, he is the first male swimmer ever to win the three butterfly events in a single edition of the championships. Before him, and among men, only Brendan Hansen (USA) had swept the breaststroke events in 2004, while Ryan Lochte (USA) achieved the same with the medleys in 2008 and 2010.

Doha 2014 will also enter in FINA’s history for the level of the performances achieved during the competition: no less than 23 World Records and 24 Championships Record were set in the Qatari capital, largely improving the previous maximum of 18 best global marks established in Manchester (GBR) in 2008. From this list, 14 WR were in individual events while nine were improved in relay action.

In the medal chart, the leader was Brazil, with a total 10 awards, seven of them gold. One athlete in particular was in evidence in the South American delegation – Felipe Franca Silva, winner in the 50m and 100m breast, and also part of the victorious 4x50m medley, 4x100m medley and mixed 4x50m medley. His teammate Cesar Cielo was also a five-time medallist for Brazil, triumphing in the 100m free.

Etiene Medeiros, a new hero in Brazil - Photo credit: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

The results of Hosszu largely contributed to the second position of Hungary in the medals table with six gold, three silver and two bronze. The top-five was completed by the Netherlands (5 gold, 1 silver, 6 bronze), South Africa (4 gold, 1 silver) and Spain (4 gold, all going to Mireia Belmonte).

The Team Trophy of the Championships was presented to the United States with its team finishing the competition with the highest number medals: 17 (two gold, nine silvers and six bronze). The U.S. titles came in the men’s 4x200m free and in the mixed 4x50m free relay. Lochte, the dominator of the last editions of the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), earned eight medals in Doha but couldn’t achieve any individual victory.

Samba night

In the fifth and final evening of the swimming action, five WR were set, and things started to get exciting from the first event, the women’s 4x50m free relay, when the team of the Netherlands (Inge Dekker, Femke Heemskerk, Maud Van Der Meer and Ranomi Kromowidjojo) improved their own best global mark (1:35.74) set in the morning heats, establishing the new WR in 1:34.24.

Then, the Brazilian festival got underway with a thrilling victory for Cesar Cielo in the men’s 100m free, defeating his French rival Florent Manaudou, winner of the 50m free and 50m backstroke in Doha. Shortly after, Etiene Medeiros proved her class by sweeping the women’s 50m back in a new WR time of 25.67. Felipe Franca won the men’s 50m breast in a new CR of 25.63, contributing also with his effort for the fourth gold of Brazil in this session, in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.

Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) - Photo credit: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

Other highlights of the evening included a new WR (50.66) in the men’s 100m IM by Markus Deibler (GER), and the two new global marks of Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) in the women’s 100m fly (54.61) and 200m free (1:50.78).

QUOTES OF THE DAY

Florent Manaudou (FRA), silver medallist in the men's 100m free: "I had a good race. I wanted to win, I'm not happy with the time but it's still a silver medal. Not winning makes me also learn some new things."

On winner Cesar Cielo: "He's a great champion. I guess it wasn't an easy week for him, he had to bounce back from the slump in the 50m free [which Manaudou won]. Maybe he thought I was going to swim faster and he caught me in the last meters so congrats to him."  

Katinka Hosszu (HUN), bronze medallist in the women's 50m back: "I'm definitely excited about how I did at this meet and these eight medals. I really tried to push myself even more so I'm just really happy about the result."

Etiene Medeiros (BRA), gold medallist and new WR holder in the women's 50m back: "I was the first Brazilian girl to win a medal at Juniors Worlds and now I'm the first to do so at short-course Worlds. The trials for Kazan are in two weeks in Brazil and I will work hard to get the gold in the 100m back but I'm keeping my feet on the ground."

Markus Deibler (GER), gold medallist and new WR holder in the men's 100m IM: "I'm not really strong in backstroke and during this lap I saw Lochte and that he was not really in front. In the last 50m, I told myself I could fight for the win. In the last lap, I did not look at all and went for the touch."

Chad Le Clos (RSA), gold medallist in the men's 200m fly: "I'm the first to complete a hat-trick in the butterfly events. Even though I was the favourite in this race, I knew Seto would be tough to race and that we could both get close to the WR. I'm just really thankful I could get my hand on the wall first tonight."

Oussama Mellouli (TUN), runner-up in the men's 1500m free: "It was very unexpected; I don't remember the last time I swam the 1500m tappered, shaped and ready for it, maybe that was in Dubai four years ago so to come back here and swim in Qatar and get a best time is really fun."

On having so many WRs broken in Doha: "I'm amazed. In the 200m free on Day 1, I thought I swam a good time but I was 21st so that was very indicative of the level of competition rightaway. The new generation is coming up and the atmosphere is conducive to great performances."

WORLD RECORDS in Doha