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Lilly King Moves To #6 All-Time After Dominant 2:16.04 200 Breast

2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – MATCH 4

Lilly King continues to get faster.

Competing in the International Swimming League’s fourth match of the season, King put together a spectacular swim to win the women’s 200m breaststroke in a time of 2:16.04, knocking nearly a full second off her previous personal best of 2:17.03.

King, who represents the Cali Condors, set her old PB at the ISL’s Grand Finale last season, where she closed out the campaign having not lost a single race the entire season. That remains the case thus far in season two, having gone wire-to-wire in all of her events.

During the first week of competition, the 23-year-old won the 200 breast in a time of 2:17.11. She also set a new lifetime best in the 50 breast in the first match, lowering the American Record in 28.86.

The swim elevates King up from ninth to sixth all-time in the event, and also bumps her up one spot to become the second-fastest American ever. Rebecca Soni, the world record holder, holds that distinction with her 2:14.57 from 2009.

All-Time Performers, Women’s 200m Breaststroke (SCM)

Rank Swimmer Time Year
1 Rebecca Soni (USA) 2:14.57 2009
2 Rikke Pedersen (DEN) 2:15.21 2013
3 Leisel Jones (AUS) 2:15.42 2009
4 Yuliya Efimova (RUS) 2:15.62 2018
5 Rie Kaneto (JPN) 2:15.76 2016
6 Lilly King (USA) 2:16.04 2020
7 Annamay Pierse (CAN) 2:16.83 2009
8 Kanako Watanabe (JPN) 2:16.92 2014
9 Laura Sogar (USA) 2:16.93 2012
10 Jocelyn Ulyett (GBR) 2:17.10 2019

King also now owns the ninth-fastest performance ever.

Compared to her previous best, the big difference for King came on the front half, where she was 1.74 seconds faster.

King, 2019 ISL Final King, 2020 ISL Match 4
31.09 30.11
35.70 (1:06.79) 34.94 (1:05.05)
35.75 (1:42.54) 35.94 (1:40.99)
34.49 (2:17.03) 35.05 (2:16.04)

King won the race by 1.42 seconds, with New York Breaker Emily Escobedo second in 2:18.46. King earned a total of 15 points for the victory, jackpotting the final three finishers.

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N P
4 years ago

Does this break Soni’s American record? Her top time outside of ’09 was 2:16.3 from 2010. (Yes, I know that Soni holds the world record, but that was during the weird period where U.S. wasn’t recognizing records swum in the suits. And I couldn’t find a video, but I assume she swam in the suits.)

Last edited 4 years ago by N P
Admin
Reply to  N P
4 years ago

USA swimming recognizes Soni’s 2:14.57 as an American Record, even though it was in that weird intermediate period where some swims weren’t recognized, but…she must’ve been in a textile suit.

I reached out to the data folks at USA Swimming to confirm. But for now, that’s the best available info.

Admin
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Ok so here’s the official explanation: USA Swimming is holding to it’s whole “rubber suits between September 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 don’t count as American Records” schtick, with one exception: if FINA ratified a swim as a World Record, USA Swimming accepted it as an American Record. Apparently this decision was made in 2010.

Weird choice? Yes. Worst decision USA Swimming made in 2010? Not even close.

Hopefully they all just get broken sooner rather than later and this can become more of a footnote of history rather than contstant confusion.

Coach Mike 1952
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Thanks Braden

tea rex
4 years ago

That first 50 though… King wasn’t messing around!

Bevo
4 years ago

Is it just me, or are all of these really fast October times in some early college intrasquads/duals/tri’s and ISL meets icredibly fast beyond normal because we missed a whole summer? Teams have to be training really hard…….

Guerra
Reply to  Bevo
4 years ago

We’ve really got some great athletes in the sport and people are training really smart. I really believe that the cross training forced by the pandemic has been incredibly beneficial to a lot of the swimmers out there.

Coach Mike 1952
Reply to  Guerra
4 years ago

Training smart – well said!

BobbyJones
Reply to  Guerra
4 years ago

I have a feeling the real reason is the rest…

Daniel
4 years ago

10th in the all time list is Jocelyn Ulyett, not Mio Motegi. Saw it in a @swimmingstats post on Instagram.

Guerra
4 years ago

Lilly King’s success and the Indiana football team’s great upset win against Penn State on Saturday! Life is golden in the land of the Hoosiers and the home of the GOAT, Head Coach Ray Looze! #rayloozegoatcoach, #hoosierdaddy, #thefabulouslillyking, #iugodscountry, #iunumber1

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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