Kazan (Russia), Aug 5 (IANS) Britain’s World Championships debutant James Guy beat hot favourite Sun Yang of China to win the men’s 200 metres freestyle swimming event here.
Guy, who trailed Sun in Sunday’s 400m final to finish second, won 200m in one minute and 45.14 seconds on Tuesday. Sun was first by the 150m mark but Guy made a strong sprint in the last 25m to win gold, reports Xinhua.
Sun took second spot in 1:45.20 while Paul Biedermann of Germany, world record holder of the event, was third in 1:45.38. American veteran Ryan Lochte came fourth in 1:45.83.
“I am happy with the time. It is my first 200m medal in the World Championships. It’s a final with a very high level and I have never met so many strong rivals in the World Championships. Guy surpassed me in the very last metres,” said Sun, Olympic runner-up of the event.
Sun, who will compete in four individual events here, took sixth in the 800m freestyle heats earlier.
“I felt tired. I have been here since this morning. I did what my coach told me to do and I will try my best in the following competitions,” Sun said.
The 800m freestyle final will be held on Wednesday.
Eighteen-year-old Katie Ledecky, of the US, broke her own world record in women’s 1,500m freestyle in 15:25.48, shaving 0.23 second off her previous record set in Monday’s heats. Lauren Boyle of New Zealand timed 15:40.14, also an Oceania record, to take second. Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas came third in 15:47.09.
The men’s 50m breaststroke world record was also a little fragile as it fell twice on Tuesday. The 20-year-old British swimmer Adam Peaty swam 26.42 in the semifinals to rewrite South African Cameron van der Burgh’s previous mark of 26.62 which was set in the heats earlier on Tuesday.
“I knew there was something in there but I decided to just stay relaxed and enjoy the environment,” said Peaty, winner of the 100m breaststroke.
Australia got a 1-2 finish in women’s 100m backstroke as Emily Seebohm clinched gold in 58.26 and Madison Wilson came second in 58.75. Mie Oe Nielsen of Denmark settled for a bronze in 58.86.
Thanks to Mitchell Larkin, Australia won its first gold medal in a men’s event here. Larkin timed 52.40 to win the 100m backstroke, trailed by French Camille Lacourt, who touched in 52.48. The bronze went to Matt Grevers of the United States in 52.66.
The hosts won their first swimming gold on Tuesday as Yuliya Efimova beat Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania to win the women’s 100m breaststroke in 1:05.66. Meilutyte, world record holder of the event, trailed in 1:06.36. Alia Atkinson of Jamaica came third in 1:06.42.
Also, China’s Youth Olympic champion Shen Duo reached the women’ s 200m freestyle final with a third place finish in 1:56.44. The race was led by Italian Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini, who touched first in 1:56.23. American star Missy Franklin ranked second in 1:56.37.
