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At the 2015 FINA World Championships, Katinka Hosszu won gold in the women’s 200 IM by more than two seconds. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, the margin was just three tenths of a second.
Hosszu did go a touch slower in Rio, but only four tenths of a second. The big difference: Siobhan-Marie O’Connor dropping almost two seconds in the span of a year, becoming just the third woman ever to crack the 2:07-barrier.
O’Connor, at 21 years old, is more than six years younger than Hosszu, but she will have to deal with the partisan Hungarian crowd when the two face off again in Budapest.
Read below to see what Swimming World’s trio of experts think will happen in Budapest. David Rieder, John Lohn and Andy Ross will each offer their predictions for who will finish on the podium.
Women’s 200 IM
Current Records:
World Record: Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2015) — 2:06.12
Championship Record: Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2015) — 2:06.12
American Record: Ariana Kukors (2009) — 2:06.15
2015 World Champion: Katinka Hosszu, HUN — 2:06.15
2016 Olympic Gold Medalist: Katinka Hosszu, HUN — 2:06.58
2017 World No. 1: Katinka Hosszu, HUN — 2:08.49
Swimming World Predictions
David Rieder’s Picks:
Gold: Katinka Hosszu, HUN
Silver: Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, GBR
Bronze: Melanie Margalis, USA
John Lohn’s Picks:
Gold: Katinka Hosszu, HUN
Silver: Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, GBR
Bronze: Melanie Margalis, USA
Andy Ross’ Picks:
Gold: Katinka Hosszu, HUN
Silver: Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, GBR
Bronze: Sydney Pickrem, CAN
Previous Events
Day One:
Day Two:
- FINA CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE
- ULTIMATE SCHEDULE GUIDE
- QUALIFIED HIGH DIVERS
- MEDAL TABLE
- 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
- LIVE RESULTS
- OPEN WATER LIVE RESULTS
- PSYCH SHEET
- DAY EIGHT FINALS HEAT SHEETS
- DAY ONE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY ONE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY TWO PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY TWO FINALS RESULTS
- DAY THREE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY THREE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY FOUR PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY FOUR FINALS RESULTS
- DAY FIVE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY FIVE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY SIX PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY SIX FINALS RESULTS
- DAY SEVEN PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY SEVEN FINALS RESULTS
- DAY EIGHT PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY EIGHT FINALS RESULTS
Two immediate thoughts re this event.
Firstly, Hosszu has not been swimming at her level of the previous years; granted those standards were at a completely different level to anyone else other than SMOC in this specific event.
Secondly, no one else is swimming anything of particular note either.
Barring unforseen, Hosszu has to be seen as a very solid favourite. SMOC’s performances this year have hardly been anything to write home to Mom about but she has to be respected as the most likely challenger. It will be a matter of who out of the current ruck of 2.09 mid-highs can potentially bridge the gap to the likely 2.07s/2.08lows that will most probably be required to podium.
Hosszu already met the qualification time for Budapest in Rio, so she has not been rested for almost a year now so you can´t read anything into her times – Hosszu in front 0f 15,000 partisan Hungarians, is a slam dunk for her 🙂