HOSSZU ON COURSE TO WIN FOUR MEDALS
BUDAPEST: Caeleb Dressel captured three gold medals inside 90 sensational minutes on Saturday, taking his personal haul at the world swimming championships to six with a seventh on the cards on Sunday.
Dressel capped his stunning display by helping the United States to a world record in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay having kicked off his historic night by winning the men’s 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly golds in the space of half an hour.
He completed the hat-trick by swimming the opening leg of the relay before Simone Manuel touched the wall at three minutes, 19.60 seconds to seal America’s win.
It’s thought to be the first time a USA swimmer has won three golds medals in one day at a world championships.
“I haven’t had much time to think tonight,” said the 20-year-old.
“It’s back-to-back events, it’s physically demanding and mentally it’s even more straining.”
The relay time shaved more than three seconds off the previous record the US team set two years ago in Kazan. The Netherlands took silver at 2.21 secs back while Canada claimed bronze at 3.95.
The championships close on Sunday with the USA well ahead in the medal table with 14 golds, 10 silvers and seven bronzes in the swimming events.
Dressel has now won six golds in Budapest. He has three individuals titles, including the 100m freestyle, plus victories for the USA in the men’s 4x100m freestyle, mixed 4x100m medley and mixed 4x100m freestyle relays.
He could win a seventh gold in the men’s 4x100m medley relay on Sunday. “I have 24 hours to my next swim, so I’ll give myself 30 minutes tonight to let it sink in a bit and then it’s time to refocus for the next event tomorrow,” said Dressel.
LEDECKY’S 14TH GOLD His haul overshadows even compatriot and freestyle queen Katie Ledecky, who leaves Budapest with five golds and a silver.
The 20-year-old Ledecky won her 14th world gold, spanning three championships, with victory in the women’s 800m freestyle on Saturday, but was happy for Dressel to take the limelight. “He’s incredible, he’s just a great athlete,” said Ledecky.
“The way he goes about his racing, it’s really impressive. He’s really fired up Team USA with his performances in the water this week.”
Dressel’s relay paid tribute to his performances.
“It’s unbelievable man,” said Nathan team-mates jaw-dropping Adrian, who swam America’s second leg on Saturday. “It’s unheard of until now — everything is impossible until someone does it.”
Manuel, the world and joint Olympic 100m freestyle champion, said Dressel deserves his success.
“He’s an amazing athlete and he knows how to race,” said Manuel. “He is trained for it, it that’s how we all have our successes. Sometimes it comes out as a surprise when you work hard and you get what you achieve, but you worked hard for it.”
Mallory Comerford, who swam the third leg, said Dressel’s performances in the individual finals had inspired the relay team.
“It’s amazing to know that he’s leading us all off,” said Comerford.
“It’s inspiring to watch him swim and do well, it brings conference to the relay.”
In Dressel’s shadow, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won the women’s 50m butterfly to complete the sprint double after her 100m earlier in the week.
It made up for some of the disappointment of missing gold in the women’s 100m freestyle final on Friday by 0.04.
Sjostrom also set a new world record in the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle with a time of 23.67sec bettering the old mark of 23.73sec set by Germany’s Britta Steffen in 2009.
The 23-year-old now holds world records in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly.
There were tears of joy in the women’s 200m backstroke final as Emily Seebohm of Australia broke down after retaining her title. A powerful burst in the final 50m saw Seebohm beat local favourite Katinka Hosszu, who took silver. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS MEN 50m freestyle 1. Caeleb Dressel (USA) 21.15 2. Bruno Fratus (BRA) 21.27 3. Benjamin Proud (GBR) 21.43 100m butterfly 1. Caeleb Dressel (USA) 49.86 2. Kristof Milak (HUN) 50.62 3. Joseph Schooling (SIN) 50.83 WOMEN 800m freestyle 1. Katie Ledecky (USA) 8:12.68 2. Li Bingjie (CHN) 8:15.46 3. Leah Smith (USA) 8:17.22 200m backstroke 1. Emily Seebohm (AUS) 2:05.68 2. Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2:05.85 3. Kathleen Baker (USA) 2:06.48 50m butterfly 1. Sarah Sjöström (SWE) 24.60 2. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) 25.38 3. Farida Osman (EGY) 25.39 MIXED 4x100m freestyle relay 1. United States 3:19.60 — WR (Caeleb Dressel, Nathan Comerford, Simone Manuel) 2. Netherlands 3:21.81 (Ben Schwietert, Kyle Stolk, Femke Heemskerk, Ramoni Kromowidjojo) 3. Canada 3:23.55 (Yuri Kisil, Javier Acevedo, Chantal Van Landeghem, Penny Oleksiak) Adrian, Mallory BUDAPEST: Hungary’s hopes of gold on the last day of the world championships will rest on the shoulders of Katinka Hosszu after she topped qualifying in the women’s 400 metres individual medley heats at the Duna Arena.
Hosszu powered through in the freestyle leg to clock four minutes 33.90 seconds on Sunday morning. The 28-year-old finished 1.39 seconds ahead of her nearest challenger, Mireia Belmonte of Spain. Hosszu is aiming to add the 400 medley title to the 200m individual gold she won earlier in the week, alongside silver in the 200m backstroke and bronze in the 200m butterfly.
Victory in the final later on Sunday would see her become the first woman to claim four medals in the event.
Chase Kalisz of the United States will also aim to secure a clean sweep of individual medley titles in the men’s 400m.
Kalisz, who also won the 200m medley gold, coasted through to the final with a time of four minutes 09.79 seconds.
Max Litchfield of Britain will race alongside Kalisz in the final after qualifying second, with Hungary’s local hope David Verraszto third. The women’s medley 4x100m saw the United States head qualifying into the final thanks to a swift time of three minutes 55.95 seconds.
A double medley gold for the medal table leaders looks in the offing after the US men’s quartet recorded the leading time in their 4x100m heat. The US recorded three minutes 29.66 seconds, with Japan, Russia and Britain set to challenge for medals.
America’s title defence will be aided further in the final when 20-year-old Calaeb Dressel will line up in the medley team as he attempts to match Michael Phelps’s record of seven golds at one edition of world championships. Dressel currently holds six golds after a recordbreaking week in the Hungarian capital while Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, claimed a seven-gold haul in Melbourne 10 years ago.
However, men’s medley team changes will occur elsewhere too.
Britain, the Olympic silver medallists, could scupper Dressel’s hopes, with Adam Peaty also expected to be included in their final quartet. The Briton won individual 50m and 100m breaststroke gold earlier in the week. — Reuters