2017 FINA World Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
• Full Competition Schedule
• Meet Info
• Psych Sheets
• Omega Results
• Pick ’em Contest
• Event-by-Event Previews

Last night we were treated to an incredible THREE world records, while an additional WR fell by the wayside already this morning. With 5 finals and 4 semifinals, the stage will be set in Budapest for more lightning-speed swimming.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• World Record: Federica Pellegrini, 1:52.98, 2009
• Championship Record: Federica Pellegrini, 1:52.98, 2009
• Junior World Record: Katie Ledecky, 1:55.16, 2014
• GOLD – Federica Pellegrini, Italy, 1:54.73
• SILVER – Katie Ledecky, USA, 1:55.18
• SILVER – Emma McKeon, Australia, 1:55.18

It looked like a battle between Australian Emma McKeon and American Katie Ledecky, but Italy’s reigning world record holder in this event kicked in another gear the final 25m to overtake them both at the end for gold. Pellegrini registered the only sub-1:55 time of the night, earning a time of 1:54.73 for the sole gold. This marks her 7th consecutive world championships medaling in this event.

In a thrilling battle down the stretch, McKeon and Ledecky wound up tying for silver, marking the American’s first silver in a major international championships. Both of these women were faster last night in 1:54.99 for McKeon and 1:54.69 for Ledecky, but each wound up slamming the touchpad in 1:55.18 for the tie.

Comparative splits for top 3 finishers:

Pellegrini – 56.41/58.32 = 1:54.73
Ledecky – 56.09/59.09 = 1:55.18
McKeon – 55.83/59.35 = 1:55.18

Ledecky has won the women’s 1500m and 400m freestyle, as well as earned gold on the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay. McKeon also has two additional silvers, one from the 100m fly and one as a member of her nation’s 4x100m free relay.

Of note, in 5th place Michigan Wolverine Siobhan Haughey became the first Hong Kong swimmer ever under the 1:56 mark with a final time of 1:55.96, beating her time from Rio.

MEN’S 100 FREE – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: Cesar Cielo, 46.91, 2009
• Championship Record: Cesar Cielo, 46.91, 2009
• Junior World Record: Kyle Chalmers, 47.58, 2016
• Top 8:
  1. Mehdy Metella, France, 47.65
  2. Caeleb Dressel, USA, 47.66
  3. Nathan Adrian, USA, 47.85
  4. Cameron McEvoy, Australia, 47.95
  5. Jack Cartwright, Australia, 47.97
  6. Duncan Scott, GBR, 48.10
  7. Sergii Shevstov, 48.30
  8. Marcelo Chierighini, 48.31

As expected the two semifinals of the men’s 100m freestyle were very quick, with Brazil’s Marcelo Chierghini’s 48.31 as the minimum time to qualify for tomorrow night’s final. With the help of his bigt-ime start, France’s Mehdy Metella touched in 47.65, which besides Caeleb Dressel‘s lead-off split of 47.26, is the fastest time in the world this year. For Metella, tonight’s effort marks the first time he’s delved into sub-48 second territory.

Both Americans, Nathan Adrian and Dressel, comfortably made it into the final with solid swims of 47.66 and 47.85. Each looked smooth and controlled and will be huge threats for the podium tomorrow night.

Two Australians were able to make it into the final. Cameron McEvoy, the fastest man ever in a textile in this event (47.04), wasn’t a surprise, but the fact young Jack Cartwright made it in is a nice boost for Australia. In the absence of 100m freestyle Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers (although he is in the stands), the fact that this 18-year-old crushed a personal best under huge pressure is a great sign that the Dolphins’ medal haul may indeed include a gold in the near future. Cartwright had never been sub-48 before tonight.

Great Britain’s Duncan Scott is lurking as the 6th seed in 48.10. Heading into this championships, Scott held the world’s fastest time in 47.90 from GBR’s national championships where he became the first Brit ever under 48.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: Zhao Jing, 27.06, 2009
• Championship Record: Zhao Jing, 27.06, 2009
• Junior World Record: Minna Atherton, 27.49, 2016
• Top 8:
  1. Etiene Medeiros, Brazil, 27.18
  2. Fu Yuanhui, China, 27.19
  3. Kathleen Baker, USA, 27.48
  4. Georgia Davies, GBR 27.49
  5. Emily Seebohm, Australia, 27.51
  6. Holly Barratt, Australia, 27.51
  7. Aliaksandra, Herasimenia, Belarus, 27.54
  8. Wang Xueer, China, 27.60

The women’s backstroke splash n’ dash was exactly that, a mad fury of speed over the water across two semifinals. Brazil’s Etiene Medeiros led the field tonight in 27.18, tying Fu Yuanhui for the 3rd fastest performance in history.

Yuanhui also put up an impressive time, just .01 off of Medeiros, while Kathleen Baker of the USA nailed a new American Record in 27.48. British swimmer Georgia Davies also registered a new national record in 27.49, while the oldest Aussie rookie ever to make a green and gold international squad, Holly Barratt, made the final in 6th with 27.51 tying teammate Emily Seebohm.

Of note, newly-minted 100m back world record holder, Kylie Masse of Canada, finished outside the top 8.

MEN’S 200 FLY – FINAL

• World Record: Michael Phelps, 1:51.51, 2009
• Championship Record: Michael Phelps, 1:51.51, 2009
• Junior World Record: Kristof Milak, 1:53.79, 2017
• GOLD – Chad Le Clos, South Africa, 1:53.33
• SILVER – Laszlo Cseh, Hungary, 1:53.72
• BRONZE – Daiya Seto, Japan, 1:54.21

South Africa’s Chad Le Clos swam a gutsy race of speeding out to the lead and splitting 53.21 and simply held on for the final 50m to hold off a chargning Hungarian in Laszlo Cseh. Le Clos got the job done, however, and clocked 1:53.33 for the win.

Cseh raced to a roaring crowd for silver in 1:53.72, well-off his own personal best of 1:52.70 from last year’s European Championships, while Daiya Seto nailed a bronze with 1:54.21 after claiming the top seed last night in a PB of 1:54.03.

American Jack Conger clocked a solid 1:54.88 for 5th in the race.

MEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record: Adam Peaty, 25.95, 2017
• Championship Record: Adam Peaty, 25.95, 2017
• Junior World Record: Nicolo Martinenghi, 26.97, 2017

1. Adam Peaty, GBR 25.99
2. Joao Gomes, BRA 26.52
3. Cameron van der Burgh, 26.60

Adam Peaty was the class of the field once again, posting the 2nd sub-26 second 50 breast in history with a 25.99 for gold. That’s just .04 off of his world record time of 25.95 from semifinals. Joao Gomes broke the Brazilian national record with a 26.52 for silver, touching out South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh (26.60). Van der Burgh settled for bronze after he scratched out of the 100 breaststroke to, assumedly, focus on this.

Gomes’ teammate Felipe Lima was 26.78 for 4th, with American Kevin Cordes in there for fifth at 26.80. Fabio Scozzoli of Italy was 26.91 to touch 6th, while Kirill Prigoda (27.01) and Ilya Shymanovich (27.27) were on the other side of 27.0 for 7th and 8th.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: Liu Sige, 2:01.81, 2009
• Championship Record: Jessicah Schipper, 2:03.41, 2009
• Junior World Record: Suzuka Hasegawa, 2:06.29, 2017

1. Franziska Hentke, GER 2:06.29
2. Zhou Yilin, CHN 2:06.63
3. Mireia Belmonte, ESP 206.71
4. Suzuka Hasegawa, JPN 2:07.01
5. Zhang Yufei, CHN 2:07.11
6. Katinka Hosszu, HUN 2:07.37
7. Liliana Szilagyi, HUN 2:07.67
8. An Sehyeon 2:07.82

Semifinal 1 saw an Asian top 4, with Zhou Yilin leading the way at 2:06.63, the only sub-2:07 of the heat. She was followed by world junior record holder Suzuka Hasegawa (2:07.01) of Japan, with China’s Zhang Yufei right behind at 2:07.11. South Korea’s An Sehyeon touched at 2:07.82 for fourth, just ahead of Hali Flickinger, who was 2:07.89 for fifth.

That 2:07.89 wasn’t good enough for Flickinger, though, as the 2nd semifinal saw four women go faster than her. Fransizka Hentke of Germany swam a strong race for first at 2:06.29, followed by a hard-charging Mireia Belmonte (2:06.71). Hungarians Katinka Hosszu and Liliana Szilagyi made it through to the final, too, going 2:07.37 and 2:07.67, respectively.

MEN’S 200 IM – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: Ryan Lochte, 1:54.00, 2011
• Championship Record: Ryan Lochte, 1:54.00, 2011
• Junior World Record: Qin Haiyang, 1:57.54, 2017

1. Chase Kalisz, USA 1:55.88
2. Kosuke Hagino, JPN 1:56.04
3. Max Litchfield, GBR 1:56.70
4. Jeremy Desplanches, SUI 1:56.86
5. Daiya Seto, JPN 1:56.92
6. Phillip Heintz, GER 1:57.27
7. Wang Shun, CHN 1:57.39
8. Qin Haiyang, CHN 1:57.81

Chase Kalisz of the USA erupted for a new personal best to dominate semifinal 1, going 1:55.88. That was over a second ahead of 2nd place Daiya Seto of Japan, who touched back at 1:56.92. Kalisz looked great and gave himself a lead after the breaststroke, and he’s looking like he has a great shot at a gold tomorrow night.

Taking semifinal 2 was Kosuke Hagino, the other Japanese swimmer, at 1:56.04. Max Litchfield of GBR and Jeremy Desplanches of Switzerland were neck and neck behind Hagino, ending up 1:56.70 and 1:56.86, respectively. Phillip Heintz gives Germany their second finals qualifier after Hentke, his 1:57.27 good for 6th after semis here.

Two Chinese men closed out for 7th and 8th– Wang Shun and Qin Haiyang, at 1:57.39 and 1:57.81. American Abrahm Devine was 1:58.0, but sits at 10th after semifinals and won’t swim the final.

MEN’S 800 FREE – FINAL

• World Record: Zhang Lin, 7:32.12, 2009
• Championship Record: Zhang Lin, 7:32.12, 2009
• Junior World Record: Mack Horton, 7:45.67, 2013

1. Gabriele Detti, ITA 7:40.77
2. Wojciech Wojdak, POL 7:41.73
3. Gregorio Paltrinieri, ITA 7:42.44

Gabriele Detti got out to an early lead, cruising ahead of the field. Gregorio Paltrinieri, though, edged ahead for the lead, and the race moved to the center lanes, as Paltrinieri and Poland’s Wojciech Wojdak did battle on the back half of the race. Detti had another gear at the end, though, and he surged past the leaders on the last 50 to win it all in 7:40.77, setting new Italian and European records in the process. Those records used to belong to Paltrinieri at 7:40.81.

Wojdak (7:41.73) and Paltrinieri (7:42.44) earned silver and bronze.

Henrik Christiansen was fourth in 7:44.21, while Sun Yang faded to fifth in 7:48.87. American Zane Grothe was 8th in 7:52.43.

MIXED 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: USA, 3:40.29, 2017
• Championship Record: USA, 3:40.29, 2017
• Junior World Record: Russia, 3:45.85, 2015

1. USA 3:38.56
2. Australia 3:41.21
3. Canada/China 3:41.25

Team USA dominated the field, putting together a 3:38.56 to take almost two seconds off of their world record from prelims, which had four completely separate swimmers. All four legs swam very well for the Americans, but it was Caeleb Dressel who unleashed a 49.92 split on the butterfly leg, the real difference maker for them. That’s an incredibly fast swim, and it’s nearly a full second better than his lifetime best.

Matt Grevers led off in 52.32, faster than his silver medal time, with Lilly King following in 1:04.15. Remarkably, she held her ground despite being the only female breaststroke leg in the field. Dressel gave way to Simone Manuel, who put together a 52.17, nearly an identical split to what she did on the end of the women’s gold medal 4×100 free relay.

The race for silver was a scramble, with Australia just getting ahead at 3:41.21. They had a nice 52.30 anchor leg from Bronte Campbell. Canada and China ended up tying for the bronze, and both teams had some impressive legs. Canada was led off by Kylie Masse at 58.22, another great time from her, and Penny Oleksiak put together a very strong 56.18 fly split, with Yuri Kisil anchoring in 47.71. Xu Jiayu led off in 52.37 for China, with Yan Zibei dropping a 58.98 on the breast.

GBR was out of medal range at 5th, though they were just tenths back at 3:41.56. They had a fantastic middle grouping with Adam Peaty (57.12) and James Guy (50.51), but the rest of their relay wasn’t strong enough to push them to a medal.