Coverage of the 2015 FINA World Championships is sponsored by Wylas Timing. Visit our coverage page for more.
Just after posting a Hungarian national record time of 58.78 to lead qualifiers in the heats of the women’s 100 backstroke at the FINA world championships, Katinka Hosszu said she was planning on scratching the event. That puts her full focus on tonight’s 200 IM final, which will come about 20 minutes after the 100 backstroke semifinals.
Hosszu last did this in the 2013 world championships, swimming in the 100 backstroke prelims before stepping away to concentrate on the 200 IM final. That resulted in her first 200 IM long course world title.
Sweden’s Michelle Coleman also scratched from the 100 back semifinals. That was a lucky break for American Kathleen Baker and Canada’s Hilary Caldwell, who were 17th and 18th after prelims. Baker had just missed semifinals by one hundredth of a second, while Caldwell was not far back with a 1:00.69.
Hosszu’s scratch also moves Australia’s Emily Seebohm to the top seed in the 100 back semifinals.
The 200 IM world record of 2:06.15, set by Ariana Kukors from the 2009 world championships, is within reach for Hosszu. She posted a European record 2:06.84 in the semifinals to become the second-fastest woman in history.
She’ll have Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and Japan’s Kanako Watanabe on either side of her in the final. The United States claimed two lanes in the final, with Maya DiRado and Melanie Margalis making the top eight.
Wao biutiful sempurna
She’s huge…? are athletes being tested still?
Hannah Wilson
Ooooh