2016 Short World Championships as reported by Lauren Neidigh
MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL
2014 World Champion: Mitch Larkin (AUS), 49.57
World Record: Matt Grevers (USA), 48.92, 2015
Championship Record: Stanislav Donets (RUS), 48.95, 2010
GOLD: Mitch Larkin (AUS), 49.65
SILVER: Andrei Shabasov (RUS), 46.69
BRONZE: Jiayu Xu (CHN), 50.02
Junya Koga of Japan blasted some outside smoke from lane 8 for the first 50, but Russia’s Andrei Shabashov emerged in the lead out of the final turn. Neither one could hold on, however, as the defending champion, Mitch Larkin of Australia, came on like a freight train the final length to pick up the win. China’s Jiayu Xu touched 3rd, while
MEN’S 200 BACK FINALS
2014 World Champion: Radoslaw Kawecki, 1:47.38
World Record: Mitch Larkin (AUS), 1:45.63, 2015
Championship Record: Ryan Lochte (USA), 1:46.68, 2010
GOLD: Radoslaw Kawecki (POL), 1:47.63
SILVER: Jacob Pebley (USA), 1:48.98
BRONZE: Masaki Kaneko (JPN), 1:49.18
Poland’s Radoslaw Kawecki successfully defended his 200 back title, breaking away from the field with a 27.26 on the 3rd 50 to secure his gold. Behind him, Team USA’s Jacob Pebley made a big drop from his prelims time to take silver. Australia’s Mitch Larkin (1:49.25) had a slight edge on Japan’s Masaki Kaneko until the final 50, but Kaneko made a late surge to take bronze ahead of Larkin by 7 hundredths.
