Swimming Day 3 - Ledecky makes history in a day of WR bonanza

Four World Records, Katie Ledecky (USA) adding history to her own successful story, thrilling races, an electric atmosphere at the Duna Arena. All this was part of the third day of the swimming competition at the 17^th FINA World Championships in the Magyar capital. Without winning any medal, one of the heroes of the day was Adam Peaty (GBR), truly phenomenal in the men’s 50m breast. After previously triumphing in the 100m, the British champion improved twice the global mark in the shortest distance: in the heats, he clocked 26.10, and then in the semis he improved to 25.95, becoming the first-ever to complete the distance in less than 26 seconds.

In the women’s 1500m free, Ledecky continued to display her supremacy, earning her 12^th gold at the FINA World Championships, the best “golden” harvest for a female swimmer in the history of the event. Kylie Masse (CAN) was the good surprise of the day, with a new World Record (58.10) in the women’s 100m backstroke, while US Lilly King shone in the women’s 100m breast, also with a new global standard (1:04.13). China left the Duna Arena with two gold medals – the first by Sun Yang in the men’s 200m free, and the second one by Xu Jiayu in the men’s 100m back.

Men’s 200m free

After his convincing win in the 400m free here in Budapest, the 2016 Olympic champion Sun Yang (CHN) was the man to watch in the 200m free final. Third best of the semis, and swimming in lane 3, he had two British competitors at his side: Duncan Scott, the fastest going to the final, and in lane 5 James Guy, the 2015 world champion. The Chinese star, owner of 13 medals at the FINA World Championships before this final, “observed” his main challengers in the first 100m, and then applied his “turbo” and touched home for gold in 1:44.39. Neither Scott (fourth), nor Guy (fifth) could enter the podium, with the silver going to US Townley Haas in 1:45.04 and the bronze to Russia’s Aleksandr Krasnykh in 1:45.23. Haas’ best previous result was a 2016 Olympic gold in the 4x200m free relay, while Krasnykh earns his first medal at this level. Taehwan Park, from Korea, 2012 Olympic silver medallist, had to content with the eighth and last position, in 1:47.11.

SUN Yang (CHN), gold

"It was a great race especially the last 50m were pretty good. It is one of the hardest races for me."

KRASNYKH Aleksandr (RUS), bronze

"The last 25m was a huge struggle, I cannot even recall how I touched in. I am really happy about claiming a medal, it is hard to believe I managed to beat the Brits. This is my first medal at a major international event so I am really delighted."

Women’s 1500m free

In the second final of the day, the curiosity was not so much on guessing the winner, but rather the time of the gold medallist. Katie Ledecky, the US great, is virtually unbeatable in this event – which will be for the first time an Olympic race in Tokyo 2020 – and the question on everyone’s mind was: will she approach or even improve her own WR (15:25.48), set in Kazan 2015? The answer came quickly, with the North American perfectly controlling the pace, but under the WR pace. In the end, she easily won in 15:31.82. After her 400m free and 4x200m free titles in Budapest, the 20-year-old star collected her 12^th gold at World Championships (she never lost a race since 2013!), the best-ever “golden” collection among women – the previous best, at 11 gold medals, had been achieved by her compatriot Missy Franklin. Appeared on the FINA World Championships’ programme in 2001, the women’s 1500m free had never been won by the same swimmer on three occasions before Ledecky (also champion in 2013 and 2015). Last detail: Mireia Belmonte (ESP) earned silver in 15:50.89, while Simona Quadarella (ITA) was third (first medal at the Worlds) in 15:53.86.

Katie Ledecky (USA) gold

“I just knew I had a big night tonight and I couldn't be more happy about it. I think compare to two years ago my schedule is different. I was very happy my 1500m swim, two years ago it was faster, but I felt pretty good, I knew I could do it again.”

“I have not set my goals for 2020 yet. I try to qualify for Tokyo, I do not schedule it yet. I have to figure out what I want to do in the next couple of years.” 

“We miss Phelps from the team, but we can still feel what he brought to Team USA.”

BELMONTE Mireia (EPS), silver medal

"Katie Ledecky is on another planet, so the goal of the race was to win the silver medal. For me, it is gold!"

QUADARELLA Simona (ITA), bronze

"This was my first senior tournament and it's amazing that I can already stand on the podium. I aimed at making it to the final. What happened is just way beyond my imagination, I didn't think I would obtain a medal at all."

Women’s 100m back

After Katinka Hosszu’s decision to skip the semi-finals of the event – the Hungarian great had the second best time of the preliminaries -, the decisive race was quite open without the presence of the 2016 Olympic champion. Emily Seebohm (AUS), the winner in Kazan 2015, was swimming in lane 5, with Kylie Masse (CAN, bronze in Rio 2016), the fastest of the semis next to her. And the Canadian didn’t disappoint, with a strategic, but also very fast race – she won the gold in a new World Record of 58.10, bettering by 0.02 the previous global mark set by Gemma Spofforth (GBR) in Rome 2009. The fight for the minor medals was quite intense, with Kathleen Baker (USA, 2016 Olympic runner-up) earning silver in 58.59, while Seebohm had to content with the bronze (58.59).

Kyle Masse (CAN), gold

“I am still in shock but I am super happy. Excitement in general was the feeling I had. During my interview, right after the race, I didn’t know what to say but obviously, I am super happy.”

“After the Olympics, I gained a lot of confidence, in individual event but also as a team, and trusted the whole process. I continued working hard this season and it paid off. I hope we have inspired younger generation to get to swim.”

BAKER Kathleen (USA), silver

"I was totaly lost before the race, but the crowd was great here. It was a fantastic race and now I am excited for my next races here."

SEEBOHM Emily (AUS), bronze

"I am so proud to be back on the podium! I could be better if did not get cold, but I am very happy! I am here to swim to do my job and the colour of the medal does not matter."

Men’s 100m back

Another very unpredictable race, with a fantastic variety of stars in the final: Matt Grevers (USA, 2012 Olympic champion and 2013 world gold medallist); Xu Jiayu (CHN, 2016 silver Olympic medallist); Ryan Murphy (USA, current Olympic champion); Ryosuke Irie (JPN, 2011 world bronze medallist); and Mitch Larkin (AUS, 2015 world champion). With a “bullet” start (reaction time of 0.51), Xu took the lead in the first metres of the race and controlled operations until the end, getting the gold in 52.44. Grevers was his most dangerous challenger, but the US star had to settle for silver in 52.48, closely followed by Murphy (bronze, in 52.59). Irie was fourth in 53.03, while Larkin was only sixth (53.66).

XU Jiayu (CHN), gold

"Of course I am happy about becoming a world champion, yet I am not satisfied with my time, I was aiming at breaking the world record. In the semi-final I almost made it hence my hopes for the final. Based on the trainings I did have the potential and I hope I will make it soon."

“Last year I took silver in Rio, and now it is a gold so it is definitely one step further. I am happy.”

“The next step is keeping swimming backstroke events.”

GREVERS Matt (USA), silver

"I am feel great, even a month ago if somebody said I took the silver I would be OK with it but now I am here, I was in the race, I wanted to win. Usually I am at the winnig side of this close heats. I am inspired to get back to my best. Xu swam really well last night, I knew he was gonna go fast, he was between Ryan and I and he did it. It is an incredible atmosphere, beautiful pool, beautiful city, we spend a great time here, really no complains, everything is easy for the athletes."

MURPHY Ryan (USA), bronze

"I am not really happy with the result. It is not so super if you are coming out as third"

Women’s 100m breast

In the fifth and final medal race of the day, Lilly King (USA), the 2016 Olympic champion, departed very fast (she was under the WR pace at the 50m turn), and never lost the rhythm, touching for gold in 1:04.13, a new World Record – the fourth of the day. She improved the former best global mark established in Barcelona 2013 by Ruta Meilutyte (LTU, 1:04.35). Behind the US champion, the fight for silver was thrilling, but the best was the second US swimmer in the final, Katie Meili (Rio 2016 bronze medallist), in 1:05.03. On the last march of the podium, Yulia Efimova (RUS) concluded the race in 1:05.05. The Russian star was the 2015 world champion and silver medallist at the Rio Olympics. Meilutyte, 2012 gold medallist in London and world champion one year later in Barcelona, had to content with the fourth place (1:05.65). 

KING Lilly (USA), gold WR

"It is amazing how the world gets faster!I was very very excited at my first world record! I am really excited to see now what happens next. It will be clear in my head only in the time of getting home!"

MEILI Katie (USA), silver

"I reached my time, I was good in my race, so everything is great! I knew it would be a tight race, but I told myself, that I should be happy with any types of results, but the silver medal makes me extra happy! It is always nice to see the US flag in the air!"

In semi-final action, Adam Peaty (GBR) became the first swimmer to perform the 50m breaststroke under 26 seconds, with an amazing new WR of 25.95. He improved his own best mark of the heats, when he set the first global mark of the day, swimming in 26.10. At the beginning of the morning session, the World Record, also owned by the British star was standing at 26.42. In two swims, he then improved the WR in 0.47, an outstanding performance for a 50m event. Peaty is of course the virtual winner of the 50m breast final. In the women’s 200m free, the duel for gold in the final will be more intense, after the outcome of the semis, where Ledecky was the fastest in 1:54.69 (impressive, following a 1500m final…). But behind, the field is also strong, with Emma McKeon (AUS) clocking 1:54.99, Veronika Popova (RUS) 1:55.08, Federica Pellegrini (ITA) 1:55.58 and Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 1:55.98. In the men’s 200m fly, the battle for the medals will most probably be contested by these four swimmers: Daiya Seto (JPN, 1:54.03), Laszlo Cseh (HUN, 1:54.22), Tamas Kenderesi (HUN, 1:54.98) and Chad Le Clos (RSA, 1:55.09). If the home crowd counts for something, and after today’s support to the national stars, Cseh and Kenderesi have a clear advantage…