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World Championships: Alex Walsh & Leah Hayes Shine In 200IM Heats
The FINA World Championships got under way on Saturday 18 June with the women’s 200IM prelims the first race to be contested in Budapest.
With 38 swimmers entered, there were just four heats that included Olympic champion Yui Ohashi and Tokyo silver medallist Alex Walsh.
Katinka Hosszu has won the last four 200IM titles and she was entered in heat two, alongside Ohashi with the pair occupying the centre lanes, the Hungarian competing in front of her home fans at the Duna Arena.
Leah Hayes of the United States overhauled Marrit Steenbergen on the final 50 of heat two to win in 2:09.81 with the Netherlands swimmer in 2:10.60.
Hosszu came past Ohashi on the free to touch third in 2:11.77 with the Olympic gold medallist in 2:12.22.
European champion Anastasia Gorbenko won the third heat in 2:10.23 ahead of Kaylee McKeown of Australia (2:11.17).
Walsh led from start to finish to take the final heat in 2:09.41, the fastest in the field to head the qualifiers into the evening semis. The University of Virginia star entered the meet as the top seed, behind her sub-2:08 performance from the United States International Team Trials in April.
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A Walsh is AMAZING!!!!