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As reported by SwimSwam’s Jared Anderson:
WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY – FINALS
- 2012 World Champ: 2:04.64– Ye Shiwen – China
- 2010 World Champ: 2:05.73 – Mireia Belmonte Garcia – Spain
Meet Record: 2:04.64 – Ye Shiwen – China – 2012World Record: 2:02.13 – Katinka Hosszu – Hungary – 2014
The world records had gone dry for a run of events, and Katinka Hosszu had had enough of it. The Hungarian broke her 4th world record of these Championships while winning her 4th gold medal with a 2:01.86. That’s a drop of three tenths from the mark she set on the World Cup tour earlier this fall.
Hosszu was dominant. She never trailed, and had the fastest split in every stroke except freestyle, where her countrywoman Evelyn Verraszto just outsplit her. As has been the theme this week, Hosszu’s backstroke was really clicking; the Hungarian split 29.93, not only the only swimmer in the field under 30 seconds, but the only one under 31 as well.
The silver medal was 4 seconds back. That was Great Britain’s Siobhan O’Connor at 2:05.87. O’Connor was tough in the front-half, and safely held on for silver over a chargingMelanie Margalis. The American Margalis sat 5th at the halfway mark but blasted her way back with a big 30.02 free split to take bronze in 2:056.68.
Great Britain’s Hannah Miley was fourth (2:06.84), just touching out the other American,Caitlin Leverenz (2:06.90). Verraszto took sixth for Hungary in 2:07.05, buoyed by that big free split.