BY FAWAD HUSSAIN
DOHA: After failing to win a gold medal on the opening day of 12th FINA World Swimming Championship, Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu bounced back strongly, smashing a world record in women’s 100m backstroke yesterday at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha yesterday.
Hosszu clocked 55.03 to grab her first gold medal in the championship, surpassing the record of Shiho Sakai (Japan), she set in Berlin 2009.
“I came close to breaking this record three times and I am excited to finally succeed,” Hosszu told reporters after the day’s proceedings.
“I tried to do my best and things clicked for me today,” she said while expressing satisfaction on her first day’s performance.
“I did pretty well on the first day too. I thought about making some improvement. Off course there are a lot more things I have to improve.”
Hosszu – The Iron Lady was trailing Emily Seebohm of Australia in the first 25 meters but she gained pace in the final lap to set the new record. Seebohm ended up winning the silver medal with a time of 55.31 seconds while Zevina Daryna of Ukraine took the bronze medal.
“When I finished I did not realise about the record and I got very excited when I came to know about it. Breaking world records are the most amazing things to do”
Also on the second day of the event, South Africa’s Chad Le Clos stole limelight in the men’s individual events when he created a new world record in the men’s 100m butterfly, winning the gold medal with a time of 48.44 seconds, edging out a five-year old record of 48.48 seconds, set by Evgeny Korotyshkin of Russia. Tom Shields (USA) and Tommaso D’Orsogna (Australia) won silver and bronze medals respectively.
Meanwhile, Felipe Silva Franca walked away with three gold medals including a couple of team events and one individual competition.
The Brazilians took the honour in team events with the quartet of Franca, Guilherme Guido, Nicholas Santos and Cesar Filho Cielo made a record in men’s 4x50m medley relay, finishing the job in one minute and 30.51 seconds, bettering record of one minute and 32.78 seconds, the Russian posted on the same day, earlier in the semi-finals. France and Russia took silver and bronze respectively in the competition.
After helping his side in the team event, Brazil’s Franca claimed his second gold of the day when he won the men’s 100m breaststroke and setting the new championship record of 56.29 seconds.
He later teamed up in men’s mixed 4x50m medley relay to win the gold medal as Brazil edged out Great Britain in a tight finished.
Spain’s Mireia Belmonte Garcia who smashed two world records on the first day recorded another triumph, winning the women’s 800m freestyle heat finals with a time of eight minutes and 03.41 seconds, beating her own championship record. Jaz Carlin of Great Britain finished second while Sharon Van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands picked up the silver medal.
Japanese swimmers - Daiya Seto and Kosuke Hagino - led in the men’s 400m individual medley winning gold and the silver medals respectively with Hungary’s David Verraszto earning the bronze medal.
The women’s 50m breaststroke saw Ruta Mielutyte of Lithuania getting the gold medal while James Mitchell Larkin of Australia clinched the premier medal in men’s 100m backstroke.
The United States were victorious in the men’s 4x200m freestyle edging out Italy. Russia ended up with a bronze medal in the competition. Apart from the finals, four semi-finals in different categories were also competed.
The Peninsula
12th FINA World Swimming Championship
Men’s 4x50 Medley Relay
World Record by: (previous world record was set by Russia same morning, 1:32.78)
Brazil: 1: 30.51
France: 1:31.25
USA: 1:31.83
Men’s 400m Individual Medley
Daiya Seto (Japan) 3:56.33
Kosuke Hagino (Japan) 4:01.17
David Verraszto (Hungary) 4:01.82
Women’s 50m Breaststroke
Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) 28.84 (missed world record by four milliseconds-USA’s Jessica Hardy on 2009)
Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) 28.91
Moniek Nijhuis (Netherlands) 29.64
Men’s 100m Backstroke
James Mitchell Larkin (Australia) 49.57
Radoslaw Kawecki (Poland) 50.11
Ryosuke Irie (Japan) 50.12
Women’s 100m Backstroke
Katin Hosszu (Hungary) 55.03
Emily Seebohm (Australia) 55.31
Zevina Daryna (Ukraine) 55.54
Men’s 100m Breaststroke
Felipe Silva Franca (Brazil) 56.29
Adam Peaty (GBR) 56.35
Giacomo Perez-Dortona 56.78
Men’s 100m Butterfly
Chad Le Clos (South Africa) 48.44 World Record (Previous: 48.48 by Evgeny Korotyshkin (Russia in 2009), CR: 48.82 Le Clos)
Tom Shields (USA) 48.99
Tommaso D’Orsogna (Australia) 49.6
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle
United States 6:51.68
Italy 6:51.80
Russia 6:51.96
Men’s Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay
Brazil: 1:37.26
Great Britain: 1:37.46
Italy: 1:37.90
