Serbia Out in 2019 FINA Worlds Water Polo Quarterfinals; Croatia, Hungary and Italy Advance to Semifinals
by MICHAEL RANDAZZO
23 July 2019, 08:30am
At 22 years old, Krisztian Manhercz is one of Hungary’s young stars.
Photo courtesy: Sportphoto.shop
Swimming World continues its coverage of the 2019 men’s and women’s water polo world championships. Stick with us for comprehensive coverage of this year’s most prestigious polo tournament.
In a surprising upset Tuesday, the favored Serbians—who have won almost every major water polo title the past five years—were eliminated from title contention at the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships. Spain, which had not beaten Serbia in World Championship play since 2009, stunned the defending Olympic and European champions with a five-goal outburst in the second period, then hung on for a 12-9 victory.
It represents the first time the Serbians have not advanced to a World Championship semifinal since 2013—a debacle that marked the end of Dejan Udovicic’s tenure as head coach. This year’s squad—missing many of the “Golden Boys” who had fueled Serbia’s prolific success—was still expected to contend with Croatia for gold in Gwangju, South Korea. Now the Serbians can finish no better than fifth, while their arch-rivals will look to become the first men’s squad to win back-to-back FINA Worlds gold since the Spaniards accomplished the feat in 1998 and 2000.
For Spain, which will look to advance to the finals for the first time 2009, Alberto Munarriz Egana, Francisco Fernandez Miranda and Roger Tahull I Compte each delivered two goals apiece, while goalie Daniel Lopez Pinedo stopped 12 shots. Serbian Head Coach Dejan Savic got a game-high four goals—on seven shots—from Strahinja Rasovic but saw the rest of his team connected on only 4 of 22 attempts, a dismal 18% conversion rate. Certainly, Filip Filipovic, the great Serbian lefty, would have made an impact on this match, but he, as well as Olympians Andrija Prlainovic and Dusko Pijetlovic chose to skip Worlds.
In reality, this loss should come as little surprise. By virtue of its recent win in last month’s FINA World League Super Final, Serbia has already qualified for the 2020 Olympics, and therefore was playing for pride—and yet another gold. The winner of the 2019 FINA World Championship will claim one of the 12 men’s berths available for the Tokyo Games.
Croatia advanced to the semifinals for the sixth straight time with a 10-8 victory, beating back a determined German squad making its first appearance in the quarterfinals since 2011. Leading the way for Head Coach Ivica Tucak’s team was Maro Jokovic with three goals. Germany got three goals from Luuk Gielan and two from Julian Real, a member of the last squad to qualify for FINA Worlds, back in 2013.
Gertjan Kooij, Croatia’s Ivica Tucak looks for double
gold at FINA Worlds. Photo Courtesy: Gertjan Kooij
The Spaniards and Croatians will meet in the first semifinal on Thursday; filling out the other side of the bracket are Hungary and Italy. The Hungarians, behind hat tricks from Marton Vamos—including the game-winner with four seconds left—and Gergo Zalanki, as well as 12 saves from Viktor Nagy, held of a determined Australian side, taking a 10-9 decision. The Sharks got two goals apiece from Joe Kayes, Lachlan Edwards, Nathan Powers and Aidan Roach, as well as 13 saves from Joel Dennerley. But the Aussie goalie was unable to stop Vamos from six meters at game’s end, a miss that advanced the Hungarians to the semifinals for the second straight time. Head Coach Tamas Marcz, a member of the dominant Hungarian teams that won three straight Olympic golds from 2000 – 2008, has quickly rebuilt his squad into a top contender for FINA honors, and Hungary must be considered a medal threat at the upcoming Tokyo Games.
In the last round of quarterfinal play, the Italians held off the Greeks behind 11 saves from Marco Del Lungo and two scores apiece from Francesco Di Fulvio and Stefano Luongo to claim a 7-6 victory and the final semifinal spot opposite Hungary. The Greeks held a 6-5 lead midway through the third period, but Pietro Figlioli tied it with nineteen seconds to go in the period, and Di Fulvio gave his team the lead for good a minute into the fourth. The Italians will be looking to make their first appearance in the FINA Worlds final since 2011, when they captured gold with an 8-7 overtime win over Serbia.
The semifinals won’t be the same without Serbia, but the remaining combatants—Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Spain—won’t shed any tears for a Serbian side that has dominated the top podium for years.
USA Men win; will play Montenegro for 9th place
Following a 20-3 blowout of South Africa. the Americans will seek to finish in their highest position at FINA Worlds since a 7th place showing in 2015. Leading the way for Udovicic’s squad with four goals apiece were Ben Hallock and Alex Bowen. Alex Wolf and Drew Holland split time in the US cage, with each registering 9 saves.
USA’s Alex Bowen. Photo Courtesy: USA Water Polo
On Thursday Team USA will face Montengro—which has only sustained one loss all tournament—for ninth place. The Montenegrins advance with a 14-7 win over Japan. Nikola Murisic and Vladan Spaic each netted two goals apiece, while Dejan Lazovic stopped nine Japanese attempts.
This will be the most significant match between the two sides since a meeting in group play at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which the U.S. men lost 8-5. The two sides met earlier this month in the China Wenjiang International Water Polo Tournament, where the Americans scored an 8-4 win to take top honors.
Australians Win Mixed Synchro, Chinese Men Command 10m on Eighth Day of World Championships
by ERIN KEAVENY
20 July 2019, 09:52am
By Erin Keaveny, Swimming World Contributor.
Photo Courtesy: Steve Russell
Today, on the eighth and final day of springboard and platform diving, mixed three-meter synchro and men’s ten-meter platform concluded the diving competition at the 2019 FINA World Championships.
Mixed synchro, a non-Olympic event where teams are made up of one man and one woman, was the first event to take place.
With an extremely tight finish, the winning team was from Australia. Maddison Keeney, who won a bronze medal yesterday on individual 3m springboard, partnered with Matthew Carter for gold.
Jennifer Abel and Francois Imbeau-Dulac from Canada finished 0.78 points behind the Aussies. Tina Punzel and Lou Massenberg from Germany only 2.46 points the silver medal finishers.
There was not a Chinese team in this event.
The final event was men’s ten-meter platform.
Yang Jian won gold with an excellent performance and a massive score of 598.65. His final dive, a front four-and-a-half pike (109B), earned 114.8 points. The dive has an extremely high degree of difficulty at 4.1, and was likely the highest scoring dive of the meet.
Yang’s teammate Yang Hao followed close behind him with his own stunning performance. He received a perfect score on his reverse three-and-a-half tuck (307C), totaling 102.0 points. It was one of his final three dives, which all scored over 100 points. This is his third medal at a World Championships.
Russian diver Aleksandr Bondar earned the bronze medal. His highest scoring dives were in the fourth and fifth round, and both scored 99.0 points.
China, Great Britain, and the United States all qualified for the maximum number of Olympic spots in men’s ten-meter platform.
While Olympic diving at the World Championships has concluded, we pick back up with high diving on Monday, July 22, 2019.
Sarah Bacon First American in 14 Years to Medal at World Championships
by ERIN KEAVENY
13 July 2019, 07:48am
By Erin Keaveny, Swimming World Contributor.
Sarah Bacon wins Silver in Gwangju
Diving has officially started at the 2019 FINA Diving World Championships with women’s one-meter, men’s synchronized three-meter, and mixed synchronized ten-meter platform.
Mixed synchronized 10m was the first final event to finish. The Chinese team, made up of Lian Junjie and Si Yajie, held the lead for the entire competition. They dominated the field by 35 points. The team’s back three-and-a-half (207C) alone scored over 81 points.
Ekaterina Beliaeva and Viktor Minibaev from Russia took the silver medal, while Maria Jose Sanchez Morenoand Jose Balleza Isaias are bringing the bronze medal home to Mexico.
Women’s one-meter was the second event to wrap-up today. Chen Yiwen from China won gold. In an impressive performance she did not waver from the top spot. Her final dive, a front two-and-a-half pike (105B), earned 8s from the judges and 62.4 total points.
American Sarah Bacon earned silver, marking the first time in 14 years in which an American female diver claimed a medal at the World Championships. She was in sixth place after prelims. While she slowly improved her standing during finals, she did not rank as high as second until her last dive. Kim Suji from Korea came in third.
“I was a little nervous on my first dive,” said Bacon after prelims. “But after I did my first dive I was able to settle down and perform well the rest of the event.”
This is Bacon’s first international competition since Junior World Championships in 2014.
Finally, the Chinese team won the synchronized men’s three-meter, but it was not an easy win. Veteran divers Xie Siyi and Cao Yuan dropped down from first to seventh after their second dive, a reverse dive pike. The team only scored 45 points on their 301B receiving 6s from some judges.
The team made up for it by scoring 93 and 90 points on their last two dives, a back three-and-a-half tuck (201C) and a front four-and-a-half tuck (109C).
Jack Laugher and Daniel Goodfellow from Great Britain came in second, besting the Mexican team, made up of Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez and Yahel Castillo Huerta, by one point.
Australian Coaches Back Mack Horton & Call On FINA To Back ISL Zero-Tolerance On Doping
by CRAIG LORD
23 July 2019, 01:03am
Mack Horton, left, keeps his distance to Sun Yang for the photo-op with bronze medallist
Gabriele Detti after medals in the 400 Free in Gwangju;
Photo courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer
The Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCTA) has called on FINA, the international federation, to follow the example of the International Swimming League and take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-doping “… rather than issue meaningless letters of warning against clean athletes who take a stand”.
In a statement issued a moment ago, ASCTA joined a chorus of athletes and coaches from around the world in backing the stance made by Mack Horton when he refused to step up on the podium next to China’s Sun Yang after the 400m freestyle final at the World Championships here in Gwangju, Korea.
Horton decided to make a stand against Sun’s presence at a championship at a time when an anti-doping case against him is pending at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
A tentative September date has been set for a hearing into the World Anti-Doping Agency‘s March challenge to a FINA Doping Panel hearing into troubling events that unfolded at an out-of-competition test near Sun’s home last September, the events surrounding which were revealed by the Sunday Times in January.
It was March before WADA lodged a case with the CAS to challenge a FINA Doping Panel ruling that let Sun go free but handed him a series of stern rebukes for his behaviour during four hours of argument with out-of-competition testers who called at his home on September 4 last year.
Last weekend, Sun’s lawyers protested their client’s innocence in a statement that said the Olympic 200m freestyle champion had requested that the CAS hold its hearing in public in the interests of transparency.
Horton’s silent protest has earned plaudits from international peers in the pool and on the deck, while in China, his stance has faced heavy criticism and abuse from fans of Sun Yang.
Now, ASCTA has issued a statement in which it notes the failure of sports organisations such as FINA to deal with a dark past, including allowing all GDR results to stand despite overwhelming evidence of almost two decades of systematic cheating.
FINA has long been criticised for having allowed, to this day, men such as Dr. Lothar Kipke to keep FINA honours given to them when they were members of the medical and anti-doping committees of the federation in the 1970s and 1980s. In the German doping trials of 1999-2000, Kipke and others were handed criminal convictions for their role in the abuse of minors during the 1970s and 1980s as part of the State Plan 14:25 systematic doping program.
Since then, the sport has lived under a cloud of doping controversy related to China in the 1990s and beyond and related to Russia, which in the lead-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games had the worst doping record of all nations in the pool for the previous decade. Russia was barred from official participation because of the growing crisis related to the revelations of Russian whistleblowers exposing corrupt practices at the heart of sport in the country:
In 2014, a unanimous vote by the FINA Media Commission in 2014 backed a joint call by Swimming World in the United States and the SwimVortex website in Europe for the ruling FINA Bureau to consider a reconciliation process and remove honours given to convicted criminals. The request was met with silence and lack of reply.
In 2018, the ISL, ahead of its inaugural Team Pro-League from October to December this year, revealed a policy of zero-tolerance for all athletes who have fallen foul of the WADA Code. A ban after one offence is possible under the WADA Code for the most serious of offences but most athletes are granted a second chance under the Code. The ISL says it will not allow any such thing in its professional league.
FINA yesterday issued a warning to Swimming Australia over Horton’s protest. In response, ASCTA has issued the following statement:
The Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCTA) applaud and support the stance taken by Australian Dolphin Mack Horton to call out cheating in sport – and calls for meaningful and immediate action on anti-doping.
Speaking on behalf of the Board and CEO, ASCTA President and former Dolphin coach, Mr Tony Shaw commended Mack Horton for escalating the issue and effectively putting FINA on notice.
“When organisations like FINA who are entrusted to administer our sport and create an even playing field, can’t and don’t take care of clean athletes the result is athletes step in and make a stand, ” Mr Shaw said.
“For too long there has been an inadequate response from administrators which has put sport, in particular Swimming, in a state of crisis. From the East Germans in the ‘70s and ‘80s to China and Russia more recently, there has been repeated accusations of systemic cheating which has virtually gone unchecked.”
“It is time for zero tolerance for drug cheats. If someone is convicted for using performance enhancing drugs, there should be a life ban. This is the policy of the International Swimming League and FINA should follow suit.”
“Rather than issue meaningless letters of warning against clean athletes who take a stand, International Federations should look inwardly and deal with the issues rather than be complicit through inaction.
“ASCTA calls for meaningful and immediate action on anti-doping from FINA. The technology is available. It is their job to get on the front foot to protect the clean athletes of the world.”
Swimming World has asked FINA for a response to the ASCTA statement and demand. We will bring you the federation’s reply should we receive one.
Adam Peaty Storms to Top Seed in 50 Breaststroke Semifinals
by JOHN LOHN
23 July 2019, 05:34am
World Swimming Championships (Adam Peaty)
Gwangju, Day 3
Semifinals
Adam Peaty swims 50 Breast
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
A gold medal and world record already pocketed from the 100 breaststroke earlier in the World Championships, Great Britain’s Adam Peaty took the next step toward gold in the 50 breast with his latest dominant showing. Clocking 26.11, Peaty posted the fifth-fastest time in history and advanced to the final with a half-second margin over No. 2 qualifier, Felipe Lima of Brazil, who was timed in 26.62.
Peaty now owns the seven-fastest performances of all-time and, make no mistake, his primary competition in the final will be the clock. With Peaty so far ahead of the field, the main question is whether Peaty can lower his world record of 25.95. Peaty has twice cracked the 26-second barrier, his second-quickest effort sitting at 25.99.
While Lima advanced to the final as the second seed, his countryman Joao Gomes was fifth in 26.84, giving Brazil a chance to place a pair on the podium. Between the Brazilians were Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli (26.70) and Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich (26.77). China’s Yan Zibei was sixth in 26.86, just ahead of the USA’s Michael Andrew in 26.88.
Russia’s Kirill Prigoda and Denmark’s Tobias Bjerg tied for eighth in 27.08, but Prigoda won a swimoff for the last spot in the final, 27.09 to 27.16.
1. Adam Peaty, Great Britain 26.11
2. Felipe Lima, Brazil 26.62
3. Fabio Scozzoli, Italy 26.70
4. Ilya Shymanovich, Belarus 26.77
5. Joao Gomes, Brazil 26.84
6. Yan Zibei, China 26.86
7. Michael Andrew, United States 26.88
8. Kirill Prigoda, Russia 27.08
Tobias Bjerg, Denmark 27.08
Women’s 200 Freestyle
Could an eighth straight medal, and fourth gold, be on the horizon for Italy’s Federica Pellegrini in the 200 freestyle? A medalist in the event at every World Championships since 2005, Pellegrini topped the semifinals of her prime event, going 1:55.14. That performance placed Pellegrini ahead of Australia’s Ariarne Titmus (1:55.36) and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey (1:55.58), with Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom qualifying fourth in 1:55.70. Titmus is looking for her second gold medal of the week after winning the 400 free on Night One.
One of the most-anticipated events on the program heading into the meet, the 200 free suffered a blow to its status when Katie Ledecky and Emma McKeon bowed out due to illness, and Taylor Ruck withdrew to conserve energy for her hefty schedule. Taking advantage of the absence of those big guns, China’s Yang Junxuan moved into the final in fifth position, and behind a world junior record of 1:55.99.
Rounding out the field for the final were France’s Charlotte Bonnet (1:56.19), Canada’s Penny Oleksiak (1:56.41) and Japan’s Rio Shirai (1:56.82).
1. Federica Pellegrini, Italy 1:55.14
2. Ariarne Titmus, Australia 1:55.36
3. Siobhan Haughey, Hong Kong 1:55.58
4. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden 1:55.70
5. Yang Junxuan, China 1:55.99
6. Charlotte Bonnet, France 1:56.19
7. Penny Oleksiak, Canada 1:56.41
8. Rio Shirai, Japan 1:56.82
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Hungary’s Kristof Milak left no doubt who the favorite is to capture the gold medal in the 200 fly, as the 19-year-old made a statement in the semifinals with a time of 1:52.96. That effort gave Milak a cushion of more than two seconds over the No. 2 qualifier, the United States’ Zach Harting (1:55.26). Milak was the silver medalist in the 100 fly at the World Champs in Budapest in 2017, and his first world crown can now be sensed.
Japan’s Daiya Seto, who has enjoyed a sterling season and will be among the medal contenders in the medley events, earned the third seed in the 200 fly with a time of 1:55.33, ahead of the 1:55.71 of Brazil’s Leonardo de Deus. Two-time world champion Chad le Clos of South Africa qualified fifth in 1:55.88, with Italy’s Federico Burdisso (1:55.92) and the Ukraine’s Denys Kesyl (1:55.95) in sixth and seventh.
Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi and Bulgaria’s Antani Ivanov tied for eighth in 1:56.25, necessitating a swimoff for the last spot in finals.
1. Kristof Milak, Hungary 1:52.96
2. Zach Harting, United States 1:55.26
3. Daiya Seto, Japan 1:55.33
4. Leonardo de Deus, Brazil 1:55.71
5. Chad le Clos, South Africa 1:55.88
6. Federico Burdisso, Italy 1:55.92
7. Denys Kesyl, Ukraine 1:55.95
8. Antani Ivanov, Bulgaria 1:56.25
Tamas Kenderesi, Hungary 1:56.25
Sun Yang Awarded Gold Medal in 200 Free after Danas Rapsys Wins but is Disqualified
by ANDY ROSS
23 July 2019, 04:11am
FINA World Swimming Championships
Gwangju 2019
Sun Yang won the 200 Free Final despite not touching first.
Photo courtesy: Becca Wyant
Day Three Finals (Men’s 200 Free)
In a severe turn of events in the pool on Tuesday night at the 2019 FINA World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, China’s Sun Yang won the 200 free final with a 1:44.93. Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys, who originally touched first at 1:44.69 was disqualified for a false start. The DQ became official immediately after the race for movement on the blocks.
The large contingent of fans from China on the lane 8 side of the pool screamed and shouted in delight when the official results were flashed on the scoreboard, with the rest of the pool jeering and booing the outcome.
Sun has been the talk of the venue in Gwangju this week after his controversial past with doping. The controversy came to a forefront when Australia’s Mack Horton lodged a silent protest in the medal ceremony of the 400 free on Sunday night, much to the delight of majority of the athletes competing.
Had Rapsys’ win counted, it would have been the first medal of his career at the World Championships. He would have moved up to eighth all-time.
This is Sun’s third straight medal in this event at the World Championships and he also defends his gold from 2017. He Joins the likes of Michael Phelps (2005, 2007), Ian Thorpe (2001, 2003), Michael Gross (1982, 1986) as repeat winners at Worlds. He also joins Thorpe as winners of the 200 & 400 free in back to back World Championships.
“My victory was because of my hard work,” Sun said after the race. “I continued to keep fighting, I didn’t give up when I was in second place.”
“I was the only one to enter the 800 this morning, so I was very tired. I just slept for an hour and a half this afternoon.”
The silver medal went to Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto at 1:45.22. It was his first individual medal in his career and the first one for Japan at the World Championships. Russia’s Martin Malyutin and Great Britian’s Duncan Scott each picked up the bronze medal at 1:45.63. It is the first medal for either swimmer at the World Championships in an individual event.
“I guess I’ve sort of got to celebrate off someone else’s misfortune,” Scott said after the race. “I’d liked to have done it outright but it’s my first ever individual worlds medal so I have got to be happy with that and try and move things on in the rest of the week because I’ve still got more events to come.”
“To be perfectly honest I’ve definitely got more in there time wise. I have done a lot of 1:45s and I’ve swum them a lot of different ways as well. Learning but then I’m just disappointed I wasn’t able to go in there and get a best time. It’s two years now and I’ve not really moved it on timewise. It’s good that I am now consistent and I have been consistently dropping 1:45s at major meets which is good but it’s now trying to move that on as well.”
Early leader Clyde Lewis of Australia finished in sixth at 1:45.78. He was leading the race through 150 meters but fell off big time on the final. He had a meteoric rise last night in the semifinals, swimming a huge best of 1:44.90 last night to move him up to 10th all-time.
1
SUN
Yang
CHN
1:44.93
2
MATSUMOTO
Katsuhiro
JPN
1:45.22
3
MALYUTIN
Martin
RUS
1:45.63
3
SCOTT
Duncan
GBR
1:45.63
5
MEGLI
Filippo
ITA
1:45.67
6
LEWIS
Clyde
AUS
1:45.78
7
KOZMA
Dominik
HUN
1:45.90
RAPSYS
Danas
LTU
DSQ
More controversy came about during the medal ceremony when Scott refused to take a photo with the medalists, shaking hands with Malyutin and Matsumoto, but refusing to make eye contact with Sun. Scott then took a photo with his medal alone but not with the other three medalists. He walked off after the ceremony was over and waved at the crowd.
Simone Quadarella Celebrates What It Feels Like To Be Katie Ledecky In Lonely Lane To World Title
by CRAIG LORD
23 July 2019, 04:10am
World Swimming Championships
Gwangju, Day 3 finals
Simone Quadarella Photo Courtesy:
Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
Women’s 1500m freestyle
Simone Quadarella had hoped to race for gold in a battle with the superstar of 30-lap racing but illness put Katie Ledecky out of the fight and the Italian was left to experience what the American often has: a race against the clock to a gold far ahead of her rivals.
The world title went to the Italian 19-year-old in a national record of 15:40.89, silver to Sarah Kohler, of Germany, in 15:48.83, the bronze to China’s Wang Jianjiahe in 15:51.00. American Ashley Twichell was next home in 15:54.19.
Quadarella’s win marked the second gold for Italy in the event’s history since 2001, Alessia Filippi having won at home in Rome back in 2009 in 15:44.93. Into the race as 9th fastest all-time, Quadarella emerged fourth fastest, the 10th anniversary of the ban on shiny suits in Rome an apt one for the new champion to leapfrog an old one who had held the Italian record for a decade.
“I’ve discovered at noon that Ledecky was out, the next hours has been the the worst of my life: I was so nervous,” Quadarella said.
On 8:17.95 at the 800m mark, Quadarella held a 7m lead over Kohler, the battle for bronze a further 5m and more back led by Wang. And that, give or take, is how it stayed until the close of business.
On the list of the best 25 efforts ever over 1500m, topped by eight swims from Ledecky, Quadarella was the only one to feature going into the final tonight: 23rd on a best time of 15:48.84 from the Seven Hills meet in Rome several weeks ago in the waters of the Foro Italico where Filippi claimed her world title.
Quadarella moved up from 23rd to 12th on the all-time list of performances and is in a fine place a year out from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at which the 1500m for women will be raced for the first time in Games history going back to Stockholm 1912 for the girls, the (old) boys having got the party started in 1896.
Delighted, someone overcome by the win and the events of a day that did not unfold as she and the defending champion had expected arriving at the door of the championships last weekend, Quadarella was asked a couple of questions on the deck for broadcast to the in-house crowd. Between sobs and smiles, she managed to say: “Yes, it was fun” and “Yes, I was very grateful to the crowd” for cheering for her and celebrating her win.
“I keep on crying…too much emotion. Before the race, the news of Ledecky, then anxiety of the start, then the voice of my family while I was swimming and the italian anthem…. I’m overwhelmed,” Quadarella said.
Quadarella and Kohler are old sparring partners, both in Europe and at the Universiade in Taipei 2017, when the Italian setting a World Student Games record of 8:20.54 a second ahead of Kohler two days after claiming the 1500m crown in 15:57.90 to the German’s 15:59.85.
1
QUADARELLA
Simona
ITA
15:40.89
2
KOHLER
Sarah
GER
15:48.83
3
WANG
Jianjiahe
CHN
15:51.00
4
TWICHELL
Ashley
USA
15:54.19
5
GOUGH
Maddy
AUS
15:59.40
6
KESELY
Ajna
HUN
16:01.35
7
MELVERTON
Kiah
AUS
16:01.38
8
BELMONTE
Mireia
ESP
16:02.10
Kylie Masse Retains World Title in 100 Back While Continuing Canadian Momentum
by JOHN LOHN
23 July 2019, 05:16am
World Swimming Championships (Kylie Masse)
Gwangju, Day 3 finals
Women’s 100 backstroke
The surge of Canadian prominence continued on Tuesday night as Kylie Masse retained her title in the 100 backstroke at the World Championships, rallying from fourth at the midway point to grab the gold medal in 58.60. Masse’s medal raised Canada’s count to four, and complemented the surprise victory of teammate Maggie MacNeil in the 100 butterfly from Monday night.
Masse had some room to make up down the second lap but stayed smooth with her stroke and gradually pulled into the lead and held off Australia’s Minna Atherton (58.85) and the United States’ Olivia Smoliga (58.91). Canada’s Taylor Ruck just missed the podium, finishing fourth in 58.96.
The first three days of competition have been nothing short of exceptional for Canada, which has watched its women’s program consistently progress over the past few years. As recently as the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the Canadian women were shut out of the medals. A year later, at the World Championships in Barcelona, a bronze medal from Hilary Caldwell in the 200 backstroke was all Canada could muster, with the World Champs of 2015 also producing just one medal.
Fortunes began to change, however, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where Masse and Penny Oleksiak stepped forward to lead a new generation of Canadian women. Since that roll started in South America, it hasn’t stopped, and Canada has established itself as a consistent player on the global stage.
Xu Jiayu Wins Stacked Men’s 100 Back Final Over Rylov, Larkin
by CRAIG LORD
23 July 2019, 05:19am
World Swimming Championships
Gwangju, Day 3 finals
Xu Jiayu successfully defended his 100 Back Title.
Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA
Men’s 100m backstroke
It was a race that featured the last three World Champions as well as the reigning Olympic Champion and world record holder. But at the end of the day, China’s Xu Jiayu successfully defended his 100 back world title with a 52.43. It wasn’t a particularly fast time as Xu has been under 52 seconds in the past, but the gold medal will last forever as he now joins Aaron Peirsol as the only swimmers to successfully defend the 100 back at World Championships. Peirsol won three titles from 2003-2007 in this event.
2013 World Champion Matt Grevers, 2015 World Champion Mitch Larkin and 2016 Olympic Champion and world record holder Ryan Murphy were a part of the stacked race, but could not dethrone the Chinese champion. In fact, it was Russia’s Evgeny Rylov with the silver medal at 52.67 while Australia’s Mitch Larkin won the bronze medal at 52.77. Larkin returns to the podium for the first time since winning gold in 2015.
USA’s Murphy went out fastest at 25.05 and was under his world record pace. He was leading for about 75 meters before he tightened up the final 25 and finished in fourth, 0.01 off the podium at 52.78. Grevers finished in fifth at 52.82. Grevers (silver) and Murphy (bronze) will not return to the podium in 2019 for this event. This is the first time the men’s 100 back podium won’t feature an American since 2011.
Japan’s Ryosuke Irie, competing in his sixth straight World Championships final in the 100 back, placed sixth at 53.22. Irie only has one medal in this event as he won bronze in 2011.
Brazil’s Guilherme Guido (53.26) and Romania’s Robert Glinta (54.22) placed seventh and eighth in the final.
1
XU
Jiayu
CHN
52.43
2
RYLOV
Evgeny
RUS
52.67
3
LARKIN
Mitchell
AUS
52.77
4
MURPHY
Ryan
USA
52.78
5
GREVERS
Matt
USA
52.82
6
IRIE
Ryosuke
JPN
53.22
7
GUIDO
Guilherme
BRA
53.26
8
GLINTA
Robert
ROU
54.22
King Fights Off Efimova Surge To Retain 100m Breaststroke Title: Russian Moves Level With Jones’ Medal Haul
by LIZ BYRNES
23 July 2019, 06:00am
World Swimming Championships
Gwangju, Day 3 finals
Lilly King Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
Women’s 100m breaststroke
Lilly King is never shy of giving you an opinion but tonight she let her swimming do the talking as she retained her 100m breaststroke title after once more eclipsing familiar foe Yuliya Efimova.
The American turned first at halfway on 30.29secs and although the Russian seemed to be on the brink of overhauling King, she fought back to touch in 1:04.93 with Efimova second on 1:05.49.
With victory King became the fourth woman to have claimed two 100m breaststroke titles while Efimova equalled 2008 Olympic champion Leisel Jones’ five-strong medal haul in this event.
Italian Martina Carraro won bronze in 1:06.36 after turning in seventh only to unleash a second 50 of 34.79, a split bettered only by King.
The American’s time was the fastest in the world in 2019 and sits sixth all-suits all-time, 0.80secs behind the world record she set at the 2017 worlds.
Top times all-suits
1 1:04.13 WORLDS17 King, Lilly, 1997, USA
2 1:04.35 WORLDS13 Meilutyte, Ruta, 1997, LTU
3 1:04.36 WORLDS17 Efimova*, Yulia, 1992, RUS
4 1:04.45 USOPNAUG Hardy, Jessica, 1987, USA
5 1:04.84 WORLDS09 Soni, Rebecca, 1987, USA
6 1:05.03 WORLDS17 Meili, Katie, 1991, USA
King, of Indiana University, moved level with Jones, China’s Luo Xuejuan and Rebecca Soni of the United States in winning two 100m breaststroke world titles.
more to follow