Swimswam / Braden Keith coverage of the 200 backstroke at the 2013 FINA World Championships:
After both Rikke Moeller Pedersen of Denmark and Olympic silver medalist Yuliya Efimova posted times under 2:20 in the semi-finals the women’s 200 breaststroke was the most anticipated race of the evening.
Pedersen, who broke the world record in the semi-final led the race for 150 meters that was when Efimova made her charge. Efimova tralied Pedersen by 27 one-hundredths of a second at the final turn, but came off the wall determined to collect her first world championship.
Efimova split 35.81 in the final 50 meters winning the event in a time of 2:19.45, which is the second fastest time ever swum in the event.
Splits:
Pedersen’s world record – 31.80/1:07.27 (35.47)/1:42.89 (35.62)/2:19.11 (36.22)
Efimova’s winning time – 32.86/1:08.30 (35.44)/1:43.60 (35.30)/2:19.41 (35.81)
Pedersen posted a 36.75 for her final split and finished second in a time of 2:20.08
American Micah Lawrence, who finished sixth at the Olympics, collected the bronze finishing in a time of 2:22.37.
Rio Kaneto of Japan finished fourth in a time of 2:22.96.
Ukrainian Viktoriya Solnceva finished fifth in a time of 2:23.01. Solnceva has made great strides in Barcelona first breaking the Ukrainian national record in the semi-finals finishing in a time of 2:24.19 and lowering it again in the finals by over a second
After turning in eighth at the 100 in a time of 1:10.40 Marina Garcia Urzainqui of Spain finished the race extremely strong swimming her final 50 in a time of 36.27, which was the second fastest, next Efimova, in the field.
Australian Sally Foster finished seventh in a time of 2:24.01.
Canadian Martha McCabe who won the bronze in 2011 finished eighth in a time of 2:25.21.