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A18 SPORTS
Wednesday 26 July 2017
Ledecky breezes to 3rd worlds gold, brash King wins again
By PAUL NEWBERRY Hosszu heading into the fi-
AP National Writer nal Wednesday night.
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Peaty, Britain’s breast-
— Katie Ledecky breezed stroke lion with the tattoo
to her third gold medal of to match, broke a pair
the world championships, of 50-meter breaststroke
backing off a bit on her marks — one in the morn-
most grueling night of the ing preliminaries, another in
meet. It was left to Lilly King, the evening semifinals.
Kylie Masse and Adam Peaty’s initial time of 26.10
Peaty to take down the shaved 0.32 seconds off the
swimming record book — standard he set at the 2015
and King to claim another worlds in Kazan. He went
impressive triumph over even faster a few hours
her Russian rival. Ledecky later in the non-Olympic
captured the 1,500-meter event, touching in 25.95.
freestyle by more than half When Peaty saw the time,
the length of the pool on he mouthed in disbelief,
Tuesday, and returned just “No way.”
49 minutes later to post the Masse took down anoth-
fastest time in the semifinals er record from the rub-
of the 200 free. ber-suit era. She won the
Long or short, it doesn’t women’s 100 backstroke
seem to matter to the United States’ gold medal winner Katie Ledecky is flanked by Italy’s bronze medal winner Simona in 51.10 — 0.02 better than
American star. Quadarella, right, and Spain’s silver medal winner Mireia Belmonte during the ceremony after the mark set by Britain’s
“It’s hard the other 364 days the women’s 1500-meter freestyle final during the swimming competitions of the World Aquatics Gemma Spofforth’s at the
Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
of the year,” Ledecky said, Associated Press 2009 worlds in Rome, the
barely breathing hard. “It’s last hurrah for the perfor-
putting the work in for prac- side her, was the one who usually staid world of swim- gold medals by a female mance-enhancing attire
tice, so when I get to this came through again when ming. “Her confidence is swimmer at a single world that allowed swimmers to
day of the meet, I can just it really counted. She got so impressive,” Ledecky championships . essentially rewrite the re-
do it. It’s routine. Just get up off to a blistering start and said. “I think it’s infectious She already became the cord book.
and know that I have the led all the way, touching for the whole team.” Efi- winningest female ever at “I knew I was close,” Masse
work in the bank to get up in 1 minute, 4.13 seconds mova hung on the lane the worlds with her 12th said. “I was aiming to do
and swim those times.” to shave 0.22 off the Lithu- rope, all alone and man- career gold, breaking a it here.” In all, five world
While Ledecky sucked all anian’s mark from the 2013 aging a weak smile, as if tie with Missy Franklin and records have been set in
the suspense out of her final worlds in Barcelona. she couldn’t believe the In- trailing only Michael Phelps Budapest. Masse was fol-
— she was more than 19 King defiantly pounded the diana college student had and Ryan Lochte among lowed by Kathleen Baker of
seconds ahead of the run- water when she saw the beaten her again. all swimmers. the U.S. and Australia’s Em-
ner-up — King made it 2-0 time, then turned to con- Still, this didn’t hurt as bad “I couldn’t really get my ily Seebohm.
over Yulia Efimova in what gratulate the runner-up — as the defeat in Rio. kick going into it that The Chinese team had a
has become one of swim- American teammate Katie “There’s still pressure from much,” said Ledecky, who big night, as well.
ming’s most compelling ri- Meili, who edged out the the media, but it’s more waited 19.07 seconds for Sun Yang captured his
valries. The finger-wagging Russian for the silver. fun,” Efimova insisted. “The silver medalist Mireia Bel- second gold of the cham-
American won gold at King was especially giddy Olympic Games were the monte of Spain to finish, pionships, adding the 200
the Rio Olympics last sum- that the U.S. went 1-2, with worst.” Ledecky covered with the bronze going to free gold to his victory in
mer after spurning Efimova Efimova relegated to a the metric mile in 15:31.82 Italy’s Simona Quadarella. the 400 free. He finished
and brazenly proclaiming bronze. — more than 6 seconds “I just kind of stayed steady more than a half-second
the Russian star had no “The rivalry is definitely off her world-record pace there.” ahead of American Town-
business being allowed to there. I don’t think it’s going from the world champion- Ledecky had to expend ley Haas, while the bronze
compete because of dop- away anytime soon,” King ships in Kazan, Russia, two more effort in the 200 free, went to Russia’s Aleksandr
ing violations. said. “Obviously, it’s very years ago. posting a time of 1:54.69 Krasnykh. Xu Jiayu touched
Efimova nearly broke Ruta awkward between the two But she didn’t really have that put her ahead of first in the 100 backstroke,
Meilutyte’s 4-year-old re- of us. We’re competitors. to push it, especially with such stalwarts as Austra- beating Americans Matt
cord in the semifinals, giv- We don’t really like each another race to go in an lia’s Emma McKeon, Italian Grevers and reigning Olym-
ing her the prime lane in other too much.” event that will likely be the world-record holder Fed- pic champion Ryan Mur-
the middle of the pool. King’s bravado makes her stiffest challenge of her erica Pellegrini and home- phy, who settled for silver
But King, racing right be- stand out even more in the bid for a record-tying six country favorite Katinka and bronze.q