Katinka Hosszu Sets Olympic Record In 200 IM Winning Third Gold Medal

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Swimming: August 6-13
• Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
• Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
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Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu blasted another Olympic record in the finals of the women’s 200 IM this evening with a 2:06.58 en route to her third gold medal of these Rio Olympics.  After establishing a new Olympic record yesterday afternoon in prelims with a 2:07.45 that looked disconcertingly easy, it seemed nearly inevitable that Hosszu was going to do something big tonight, and Hungary’s golden girl did not disappoint.

Hosszu, the world record holder in the 200 IM with a 2:06.12 established last summer at the World Championships in Kazan, was the clear favorite to win this race coming into Rio, though she received pressure from Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor.  Hosszu led the race from start to finish, though the Iron Lady was especially commanding in the backstroke, where she pulled ahead silver medalist O’Connor who bettered her own British National Record with a 2:06.88.  Maya DiRado, silver medalist in the 400 IM from Team USA, took the bronze in a 2:08.79.

This Olympic record and gold medal solidifies Hosszu’s dominance of the medleys, if there was any doubt before these Rio Games began.  On the first day of competition, Hosszu blasted a 4:26.36 in the 400 IM to destroy Ye Shiwen‘s seemingly-untouchable world record and win the race by nearly five seconds.  Monday night Hosszu took the gold in the 100 backstroke in a come-from-behind victory, charging to the wall ahead of the USA’s Kathleen Baker who took the silver medal.  This morning Hosszu elected not to swim the 200 butterfly, apparently saving up for the IM tonight after Siobhan-Marie O’Connor blasted a 2:07.57 in the semifinals to scare Hosszu’s (former) Olympic record set in the prelims.  Though Hosszu most likely would have been a medal contender in the 200 fly, O’Connor’s amazing 2:06.88 in the 200 IM proves that the Iron Lady made the right call in skipping the fly and not chancing tiring herself out too much before the showdown in the IM.