Ledecky, Peaty maintain hot form as Cseh claims 200 butterfly gold
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Katie Ledecky won the 200-meter freestyle at the swimming world championships last night against a stellar field that included defending champion Missy Franklin and two-time winner Federica Pellegrini.
The 18-year-old American rallied from fourth after the first two laps to touch first in 1 minute, 55.16 seconds for her third gold medal of the championships. Ledecky already won the 1,500 free, lowering her own world record in the preliminaries and final, and the 400 free.
Pellegrini finished second in 1:55.32, and Franklin was third in 1:55.49.
Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands took it out strongly, dipping under world-record pace on the opening lap. She was still in front through the third lap before fading to eighth.
Katinka Hosszu of Hungary, the 200 individual medley winner in world-record time, was fifth. China’s Shen Duo finished sixth in 1:56.27.
Two years ago in Barcelona, Ledecky won four golds and set two world records. The recent high school graduate is showing no signs of slowing down in Kazan, where she still has the 800 freestyle remaining.
Better known as a distance specialist, Ledecky was competing in the 200 free for the first time at the worlds.
Laszlo Cseh of Hungary overtook Chad Le Clos to win the 200 butterfly as the oldest man in the final at age 29.
Cseh trailed Le Clos after the first two laps before passing the South African midway through the third lap. He hung on and touched first in 1:53.48.
Le Clos settled for silver in 1:53.68, and Jan Switkowski of Poland earned bronze in 1:54.10.
It was Cseh’s first gold at the worlds since 2005 in Montreal, where he won the 400 individual medley. He has reunited with his childhood coach ahead of next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Le Clos won the race two years ago.
Michael Phelps, the world-record holder, was forced to miss the worlds as part of his suspension by USA Swimming after a second drunk-driving arrest.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Adam Peaty completed the double of world breaststroke titles after adding the 50-meter title to his 100 crown last night.
The 20-year-old, who set the event’s world record in Tuesday’s semifinal, clocked 26.51 with South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh, the 2013 world champion, taking silver at 0.15 seconds back.
Kevin Cordes of the US took the bronze medal.
Having beaten Van der Burgh on the wall in the 100 final, Peaty again came out on top ahead of his South African rival over the sprint distance.
Peaty, the Commonwealth champion, has made a stunning worlds debut with a world record and two titles to claim Britain’s second gold yesterday after Gary Hunt’s win in the men’s high-diving competition.
Peaty has matched David Wilkie’s double — the Scot won the 100 and 200 breaststroke titles at the 1975 worlds.
He will be bidding for a third title in Kazan when the 200 breaststroke heats start today with the final tomorrow night.
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