Aussies lap up 100m backstroke events at swim worlds
Men nab title, women 1-2 in final
Australia dominated the 100-metre backstroke events at the world swimming championships Tuesday, winning the men’s title and going 1-2 in the women’s final.
Two more world records fell on the third night of swimming at Kazan Arena, where a cool breeze swept through the soccer stadium.
Mitchell Larkin won the men’s 100 back in 52.40 seconds. He came into the championships with the top time in the world this year, having emerged at last year’s Commonwealth Games, where he earned silver in the 100 and gold in the 200 back.
“The first thing that came into my head was, ‘Wow. This is the moment. This is what you’ve dreamt of for so many years,’ ” Larkin said.
“You can just get caught up in the circus, the lights, the sounds, the atmosphere, and here I sort of just took it in and enjoyed it, rather than thinking, ‘Oh my God, this is a world championships.’ ”
Camille Lacourt of France was second in 52.48 and current Olympic champion Matt Grevers of the U.S. finished third in 52.66. Grevers won the world title two years ago.
Emily Seebohm led a 1-2 finish for the Aussies in the women’s final, with all eight swimmers going under one minute. She won in 58.26 to earn her first individual gold at worlds, having finished second to American Missy Franklin in two years ago in Barcelona.
“I touched the wall and I was just so excited,” Seebohm said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, is that my name with a one? Yes it is! Oh my God, I did it! I finally did it!’ ”
Seebohm sang a country song in her head as she churned through the water.
“It’s just about kicking arse and being a girl, so I thought it was very appropriate,” she said.
Seebohm’s teammate, Madison Wilson, was second in 58.75 and Mie Oe Nielsen of Denmark was third in 58.86.
Seebohm whipped out her camera phone to take a selfie of her and Wilson on deck with their medals. Franklin finished fifth in 59.40. “Definitely disappointed with the 100. Obviously, that’s not what I wanted to go,” she said. “But that’s where I am right now.”
Britain enjoyed a banner night in the pool, too.
James Guy defeated a strong field to win the 200 freestyle, outsprinting his idol Sun Yang of China to the finish.
Guy, the youngest swimmer in the final at age 19, touched first in one minute 45.14 seconds. Sun settled for silver in 1:45.20 and world record holder Paul Biedermann of Germany earned bronze in 1:45.38.
It was Guy’s first career gold medal at worlds. He earned silver in the 400 freestyle on Sunday.
Another Brit, Adam Peaty, followed Guy’s glory with a feat of his own. Peaty set a world record in the 50 breaststroke, winning the first semifinal heat in 26.42.
He bettered the mark of 26.62 set by Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa in the morning preliminaries.