2017 FINA World Championships: Day 5 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

Night 5 of the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary brings competitiong in the finals of the men’s 200 IM, men’s 100 free, women’s 50 back, women’s 200 fly, and women’s 4×200 freestyle relay. Swimmers will also compete in the semifinals of the women’s 100 free, men’s and women’s 200 breast, and men’s 200 back.

World Record holder Sarah Sjostrom is back in action tonight in the 100 free. Earlier in the meet, she put up the first sub-52 swim in history on the 400 free relay leadoff, setting the record at a blistering 51.71. Japanese breaststroker Ippei Watanabe will also swim in his signature event tonight, as he’s the current World Record holder in the 200 breast.

Americans Caeleb Dressel and Chase Kalisz will look to win their first ever individual world titles tonight. Kalisz will be up against Japanese superstars Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto, while Dressel will square off with fellow American sprint champion Nathan Adrian, Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, and France’s Mehdy Metella.

For a full preview of tonight’s events, click here.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• 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. GOLD: Chase Kalisz, USA, 1:55.56
2. SILVER: Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 1:56.01
3. BRONZE: Wang Shun, CHN, 1:56.28

Heading into tonight’s final, the Americans had won the last 7 straight World Championships golds in this event on the backs of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Tonight, Chase Kalisz made it 8 straight for the Americans, holding off Japanese IM star Kosuke Hagino to win it in 1:55.56. Hagino held the lead through the front half as expected, but Kalisz roared to a 32.63 breaststroke split to go by him and never looked back.

China’s Wang Shun (1:56.28) ran down Great Britain’s Max Litchfield (1:56.86) for the bronze, but Litchfield was able to chase down Japan’s Daiya Seto (1:56.97) for 4th. China’s Qin Haiyang wound up 6th in 1:57.06, taking nearly half a second off his own Junior World Record.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: Sarah Sjostrom, 51.71, 2017
• Championship Record: Sarah Sjostrom, 51.71, 2017
• Junior World Record: Penny Oleksiak, 52.70, 2016

TOP 8:

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE)- 52.44
2. Simone Manuel (USA)- 52.69
3. Mallory Comerford (USA)- 52.85
4. Pernille Blume (DEN)- 52.99
5. Bronte Campbell (AUS)- 53.04
6. Penny Oleksiak (CAN)- 53.05
7. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED)- 53.09
8. Emma McKeon (AUS)- 53.20

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, who broke the World Record in this event on the 400 free leadoff to open the meet, cruised through semifinal 2 with a 52.44, while American Simone Manuel put up a personal best 52.69 for 2nd ahead of teammate Mallory Comerford (52.85).

Denmark’s Pernille Blume became the first woman to break 53 seconds, sneaking under the barrier with a 52.99 for 4th. Australia’s Defending World Champion Bronte Campbell (53.04) rounded out the top 5, while Candian Olympic Champion Penny Oleksiak (53.05) trailed for 6th by just 2 hundredths.

MEN’S 100 FREE – FINAL

• World Record: Cesar Cielo, 46.91, 2009
• Championship Record: Cesar Cielo, 46.91, 2009
• Junior World Record: Kyle Chalmers, 47.58, 2016

1. GOLD: Caeleb Dressel, USA, 47.17
2. SILVER: Nathan Adrian, USA, 47.87
3. BRONZE: Mehdy Metella, FRAN, 47.89

Caeleb Dressel flipped in a blistering 22.31 to lead at the 50. When it looked like the field might have a chance to come back on him, Dressel put his head down into the finish with no breath in the last 15 meters to win it in and American Record time of 47.17. Teammate Nathan Adrian (47.87) ran down France’s Mehdy Metella (47.89) to give the USA the 1-2 punch.

Australia’s Cameron McEvoy was out in a quick 22.56 at the 50-mark, but faded slightly on the back half to take 4th in 47.92. He was the only man off the podium to break 48, as Great Britain’s Duncan Scott (48.11) and Brazil’s Marcelo Chierighini (48.11) tied to round out the top 5.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• World Record: Zhao Jing, 27.06, 2009
• Championship Record: Zhao Jing, 27.06, 2009
• Junior World Record: Minna Atherton, 27.49, 2016

1. GOLD: Etiene Medeiros, BRA, 27.14
2. SILVER: Fu Yuanhui, CHN, 27.15
3. BRONZE: Aliaksandra Herasimenia, BLR, 27.23

Brazil’s Etiene Medeiros got her hand to the wall a hundredth ahead of China’s Fu Yuanhui (27.15), winning gold in a new South American and Brazilian Record of 27.14. That was the first ever long course World Championships title for the Brazilian women. Belarus’ Aliaksandra Herasimenia tied the European Record with a 27.23 to take bronze.

Australia’s Emily Seebohm was just off the podium with a 27.37 for 4th and a new Oceanian Record, followed by American Kathleen Baker (27.50).

MEN’S 200 BREAST – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: Ippei Watanabe, 2:06.67, 2017
• Championship Record: Daniel Gyurta, 2:07.23, 2013
• Junior World Record: Qin Haiyang, 2:08.71, 2017

TOP 8:

1. Anton Chupkov (RUS)- 2:07.14
2. Ippei Watanabe (JPN)- 2:07.44
3. Ross Murdoch (GBR)- 2:07.72
4. Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN)- 2:07.80
5. Kevin Cordes (USA)- 2:08.40
6. Ilya Khomenko (RUS)- 2:08.58
7. Matthew Wilson (AUS)- 2:08.64
8. Nic Fink (USA)- 2:08.80

Team USA’s Kevin Cordes (2:08.40) led the way through the first 150 of semifinal 2, but Russia’s Anton Chupkov kicked it into another gear to run him down on the final 50. Chupkov touched in 2:07.14, taking down the Champrionship Record, Russian Record, and European Record in the process. Japan’s Ippei Watanabe (2:07.44) also came through in the 2:07-range with a big move on the last 50.

Kazakhstan’s Olympic champion Dmitriy Balandin missed out on the final, taking 13th with a 2:09.69. Junior World Record holder Qin Haiyang of China, who took down the 200 IM Junior World Record at the beginning of tonight’s session, finished 15th here in 2:10.14.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINAL

• World Record: Liu Zige, 2:01.81, 2009
• Championship Record: Jessicah Schipper, 2:03.41. 2009
• Junior World Record: Suzaka Hasegawa, 2:06.29, 2017

1. GOLD: Mireia Belmonte, ESP, 2:05.26
2. SILVER: Franziska Hentke, GER, 2:05.39
3. BRONZE: Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 2:06.02

Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu set the pace on the front half, leading with a 1:00.41 at the 100-mark. Spanish Olympic Champion Mireia Belmonte made a comeback on the 3rd 50, though, and held off a blistering 32.23 final split from Germany’s Franziska Hentke. At the finish, Belmonte got her hands to the wall first, touching in 2:05.26 to Hentke’s 2:05.39 to give the Spanish their first ever Worlds title in this event. Hosszu held on for 3rd in 2:06.02.

Korea’s An Sehyeon was just one place shy of the podium with a new Korean Record time of 2:06.67. Junior World Record holder Suzaka Hasegawa of Japan finished 6th in 2:07.43, just behind China’s Zhang Yufei (2:07.06).

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: Rikke Pedersen, 2:19.11, 2013
• Championship Record: Rikke Pedersen, 2:19.11, 2013
• Junior World Record: Viktoria Gunes, 2:19.64, 2015

TOP 8:

1. Yuliya Efimova, RUS, 2:21.49
2. Bethany Galat, USA, 2:21.86
3. Taylor McKeown, AUS, 2:22.10
4. Shi Jinglin, CHN, 2:23.17
5. Kierra Smith, CAN, 2:23.18
6. Jessica Vall, ESP, 2:23.49
7. Molly Renshaw, GBR, 2:23.51
8. Lilly King, USA, 2:23.81

Russia’s Yuliya Efimova (2:21.49) took it out easy with a 1:10.55 at the 100 and nearly even split it with a 1:10.94 on the back half. Team USA’s Bethany Galat threw down a personal best 2:21.86 behind her to take 2nd seed. The only other woman to break 2:23 in the semis was Australia’s Taylor McKeown (2:22.10).

100 breast champ Lilly King (2:23.81) of the USA snuck into the final by a hundredth over Great Britain’s Jocelyn Ulyett (2:23.82)

MEN’S 200 BACK – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: Aaron Peirsol, 1:51.92, 2009
• Championship Record: Aaron Peirsol, 1:51.92, 2009
• Junior World Record: Kliment Kolesnikov, 1:55.49, 2017

TOP 8:

1. Xu Jiayu, CHN, 1:54.79
2. Ryan Murphy, USA, 1:54.93
3. Evgeny Rylov, RUS, 1:54.96
4. Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS, 1:55.15
5. Jacob Pebley, USA, 1:55.20
6. (TIE-6th)* Ryosuke Irie, JPN, 1:55.79
7. (TIE-6th)* Peter Bernek, HUN, 1:55.79
8. Danas Rapsys, LTU, 1:56.11

China’s Xu Jiayu was under World Record pace with a 54.62 at the halfway point, but fell off the pace as the USA’s Ryan Murphy and Russia’s Evgeny Rylov started to reel him in. Jiayu held on at the touch to win the heat in 1:54.79. Olympic champ Murphy (1:54.93) and fellow Olympic medalist Rylov (1:54.96) were the only other men under 1:55 tonight.

Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov chased down Team USA’s Jacob Pebley in semifinal 1 to set a new Junior World Record in 1:55.15.

WOMEN’S 4×200 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: China, 7:42.08, 2009
• Championship Record: China, 7:42.08, 2009
• Junior World Record: Australia, 7:56.68, 2015

1. GOLD: USA – 7:43.39
2. SILVER: CHN – 7:44.96
3. BRONZE: AUS – 7:48.51

Leah Smith led off for the Americans in a personal best 1:55.97, making her the 6th American women ever to break the 1:56-barrier. Mallory Comerford (1:56.92) and Melanie Margalis (1:56.48) took over the middle legs of the relay as they battled down the stretch with China and Russia. It was a very tight race with China going into the final leg, but Katie Ledecky took off with a 1:54.02 split to help the Americans strike gold again.

China wound up with silver as Li Bingjie anchored in 1:55.46. The Russians got off to a great start with Veronika Popova‘s 1:55.95 leadoff split, but the Australians were able to run them down for bronze with Emma McKeon (1:56.26) and Ariarne Titmus (1:56.61) giving them a pair of 1:56s on the 2nd and 4th legs respectively.