Showing posts with label
17th FINA World Championships.
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Showing posts with label
17th FINA World Championships.
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BUDAPEST - Caeleb Dressel of the United States heralded a new era in world swimming when he equaled the great Michael Phelps's feat of seven golds at a single world championships as the 17th edition closed on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Dressel underlined his credentials as the world's fastest starter in breathtaking fashion at the Duna Arena when he broke away on the butterfly leg to give the U.S. gold in the men's 4x100 meters medley relay.
Dressel had already won three individual golds and three relay titles in Budapest and Sunday's addition allowed him to match his compatriot Phelps's tally from the 2007 championships in Melbourne.
He also helped the U.S. to record their best-ever world championship haul, with 38 medals.
However the enormity of the Florida student's achievements had yet to fully sink in.
"I've never had it happen so I don't really know what to say," he told reporters. "I'm going to take a little break in Europe, go to Poland and Scotland and just enjoy myself.
"It was probably the most fun I've had in eight days. It was an absolute blast getting to do what I love."
Team mate Lilly King had kickstarted the evening in blistering style with a world-record time of 29.40 seconds in the women's 50m breaststroke.
King beat Russian Yuilya Efimova to the wall by 0.17 seconds, with another American, Katie Meili taking bronze.
The atmosphere rose when Hungary's Katinka Hosszu glided to gold in the women's 400m individual medley, adding to her 200m medley title.
The 12,000-strong crowd roared Hosszu on to a championship record time of four minutes 29.33. Mireia Belmonte of Spain won silver, with Canadian Sydney Pickrem claiming bronze.
Chase Kalisz's breaststroke leg in the men's 400m individual medley also saw him land an individual medley double.
The American set a championship record of four minutes 5.90 seconds to become the third-fastest performer behind Phelps and Ryan Lochte.
David Verraszto of Hungary won silver, with Japan's Daiya Seto securing bronze.
"Michael and Ryan are my idols so just to be behind them is cool for me to think about," Kalisz told reporters.
Swede Sarah Sjostrom won her third individual gold in the women's 50m freestyle to wrap up a memorable championships which also included two world records.
The 23-year-old paced herself perfectly to hold off Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands in 23.69 seconds. Simone Manuel of the U.S. won bronze.
Sjostrom said: "It was a really good first 25m but the finish was really bad. But it doesn't matter what time it is, the only thing that mattered was that gold."
Camille Lacourt of France delivered the perfect hors d'oeuvre for his new life as a Paris restaurant owner by blazing his way to a hat-trick of men's 50m backstroke world golds.
Lacourt, 32, bowed out of the sport in style as his 24.35 seconds saw off Japan's Junya Koga and Matt Grevers of the U.S. into the minor medals.
King and Manuel then helped the U.S. to set a world record on the way to women's 4x100m medley relay gold.
That paved the way for the U.S. relay men's golden finale, with Britain finishing in silver 1.04 seconds behind.
In their dominating performance at the championships, the U.S. claimed six of the 11 world records set in Budapest. Katie Ledecky, who did not swim on Sunday, finished as the leading female swimmer with her five gold medals and one silver. Manuel collected five golds and a bronze.
(Additional reporting by Marton Dunai; Editing by Clare Fallon)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Caeleb Dressel captured three gold medals inside 90 sensational minutes on Saturday, taking his personal haul at the world swimming championships to six with a seventh on the cards on Sunday.
Dressel capped his stunning display by helping the United States to a world record in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay having kicked off his historic night by winning the men's 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly golds in the space of half an hour.
He completed the hat-trick by swimming the opening leg of the relay before Simone Manuel touched the wall at three minutes, 19.60 seconds to seal America's win.
It's thought to be the first time a USA swimmer has won three golds medals in one day at a world championships.
"I haven't had much time to think tonight," said the 20-year-old.
"It's back-to-back events, it's physically demanding and mentally it's even more straining."
The relay time shaved more than three seconds off the previous record the US team set two years ago in Kazan.
The Netherlands took silver at 2.21 secs back while Canada claimed bronze at 3.95.
The championships close on Sunday with the USA well ahead in the medal table with 14 golds, 10 silvers and seven bronzes in the swimming events.
Dressel has now won six golds in Budapest.
He has three individuals titles, including the 100m freestyle, plus victories for the USA in the men's 4x100m freestyle, mixed 4x100m medley and mixed 4x100m freestyle relays.
He could win a seventh gold in the men's 4x100m medley relay on Sunday.
"I have 24 hours to my next swim, so I'll give myself 30 minutes tonight to let it sink in a bit and then it's time to refocus for the next event tomorrow," said Dressel.
- Ledecky's 14th worlds gold -
His haul overshadows even compatriot and freestyle queen Katie Ledecky, who leaves Budapest with five golds and a silver.
The 20-year-old Ledecky won her 14th world gold, spanning three championships, with victory in the women's 800m freestyle on Saturday, but was happy for Dressel to take the limelight.
"He's incredible, he's just a great athlete," said Ledecky.
"The way he goes about his racing, it's really impressive. He's really fired up Team USA with his performances in the water this week."
Dressel's relay team-mates paid tribute to his jaw-dropping performances.
"It's unbelievable man," said Nathan Adrian, who swam America's second leg on Saturday.
"It's unheard of until now -- everything is impossible until someone does it."
Manuel, the world and joint Olympic 100m freestyle champion, said Dressel deserves his success.
"He's an amazing athlete and he knows how to race," said Manuel. "He is trained for it, it that's how we all have our successes.
"Sometimes it comes out as a surprise when you work hard and you get what you achieve, but you worked hard for it."
Mallory Comerford, who swam the third leg, said Dressel's performances in the individual finals had inspired the relay team.
"It's amazing to know that he's leading us all off," said Comerford.
"It's inspiring to watch him swim and do well, it brings conference to the relay."
In Dressel's shadow, Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom won the women's 50m butterfly to complete the sprint double after her 100m earlier in the week.
It made up for some of the disappointment of missing gold in the women's 100m freestyle final on Friday by 0.04.
Sjostrom also set a new world record in the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle with a time of 23.67sec bettering the old mark of 23.73sec set by Germany's Britta Steffen in 2009.
The 23-year-old now holds world records in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly.
There were tears of joy in the women's 200m backstroke final as Emily Seebohm of Australia broke down after retaining her title.
A powerful burst in the final 50m saw Seebohm beat local favourite Katinka Hosszu, who took silver.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
