2017 FINA World Championships

DAY TWO FINALS: The Stage Is Set For King vs. Efimova Round No. 2

DAY TWO FINALS: The Stage Is Set For King vs. Efimova Round No. 2

Live updates and live results of day two finals of the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Events include the 100 meter breaststroke, 100 meter butterfly, 100 meter backstroke, 200 meter individual medley, 200 meter freestyle, and 50 meter

Jul 24, 2017 by Maclin Simpson
DAY TWO FINALS: The Stage Is Set For King vs. Efimova Round No. 2

2017 FINA World Championships

July 23-30, 2017
Budapest, Hungary
Dagály Aquatics Arena
SCHEDULE
PSYCH SHEET
LIVE RESULTS

Day two finals Monday night at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, featured a few world record near-misses and the full strength of the Hungarian home crowd.

The first two races of the session -- men's 100m breaststroke and women's 100m butterfly -- saw two new championship records from ​Adam Peaty ​(57.45) and ​Sarah Sjöström ​(55.53).

But the most dramatic moment of the night came in the women's 100m breaststroke. After missing the world record by one one-hundredth of a second in the first semifinal, ​Yulia Efimova ​(1:04.36) of Russia gave a very clear finger wag to the camera -- an assumed attempt to give ​Lilly King ​a dose of her own medicine from Rio. King responded with a 1:04.53 in the second semifinal, setting up a race for the ages Tuesday night.

Men 100m Breaststroke -- FINAL
World Record: 57.13 -- Adam Peaty (Great Britain), 2016
Championship Record: 57.47 -- Adam Peaty (Great Britain), 2017
World Junior Record: 59.33 -- Nicolo Martinenghi (Italy), 2017
American Record: 58.74 -- Kevin Cordes (USA), 2017

1.) Adam Peaty (Great Britain) -- 57.47 (Championship Record)
2.) Kevin Cordes (USA) -- 58.79
3.) Kirill Prigoda (Russia) -- 59.05
4.) Yasuhiro Koseki (Japan) -- 59.10
5.) Cody Miller (USA) -- 59.11
6.) Andrius Sidlauskas (Lithuania) -- 59.21
7.) Zibei Yan (China) -- 59.42
8.) Ross Murdoch (Great Britain) 59.45

The undisputed champ -- Adam Peaty -- was locked in and ready to roll prior to this race. He looked supremely confident as he rocketed out to a 26.50 first 50 meters -- a tenth under his own world record pace. Unlike any breaststroker of this era, Peaty is able to maintain a quick yet efficient tempo for the entire 100 meters. Kevin Cordes of the United States held on to his second seed and secured the silver medal with a 58.79. In a tight battle for bronze, Kirill Prigoda of Russia out-touched ​Yasuhiro Koseki of Japan and ​Cody Miller of the United States 59.05 to 59.10 and 59.11, respectively.


Women 100m Butterfly -- FINAL
World Record: 55.48 -- Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden), 2016
Championship Record: 55.53 -- Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden), 2017
World Junior Record: 56.46 -- Penny Oleksiak (Canada), 2016
American Record: 55.98 -- Dana Vollmer (USA), 2012

1.) Sarah Sjöström (Sweden) -- 55.53 (Championship Record)
2.) Emma McKeon (Australia) -- 56.18
3.) Kelsi Worrell (USA) -- 56.37
4.) Penny Oleksiak (Canada) -- 56.94
5.) Sehyeon An (South Korea) -- 57.07
6.) Rikako Ikee (Japan) -- 57.08
7.) Svetlana Chimrova (Russia) -- 57.24
8.) Yufei Zhang (China) -- 57.51

OH. SO. CLOSE. Sarah Sjöström of Sweden blasted the first 50 meters in 25.67 -- under her world record pace. But USA's Kelsi Worrell crushed the underwater coming off the turn and almost pulled even with Sjöström. In the end, Sjöström's closing speed was too much and she got her hand on the wall first in 55.53 -- a new championship record, but 0.05 off of her 55.48 world record from the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Emma McKeon of Australia got in for silver with a 56.18 and Worrell got the bronze with a lifetime best of 56.37.

Men 100m Backstroke -- SEMIFINALS
World Record: 51.85 -- Ryan Murphy (USA), 2016
Championship Record: 52.19 -- Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
World Junior Record: 53.65 -- Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2016
American Record: 51.85 -- Ryan Murphy (USA), 2016

1.) Xu Jiayu (China) -- 52.44 ​(Q)
2.) Ryan Murphy (USA) -- 52.95 ​(Q)
3.) Matt Grevers (USA) -- 52.97 ​(Q)
4.) Ryosuke Irie (Japan) -- 53.02 ​(Q)
5.) Grigory Tarasevich (Russia) -- 53.06 ​(Q)
6.) Mitchell Larkin (Australia) -- 53.19 ​(Q)
7.) Guilherme Guido (Brazil) -- 53.71 ​(Q)
8.) Corey Main (New Zealand) -- 53.76 ​(Q)

China's Xu Jiayu continues to lead throughout the first two round of the men's 100m backstroke. Back in April at Chinese Nationals, Xu scared Ryan Murphy's world record of 51.85 with a 51.86. One of the most technically sound swimmers above the surface to the naked eye, Xu actually looked like he shut it down the final 15 meters and went into cruise control. Either that, or he is just extremely efficient. Either way, his tempo slowed down significantly. Defending Olympic champion Ryan Murphy touched in 52.95 to claim the second seed and Matt Grevers -- two-time Olympic medalist in this race -- touched for the third seed in 52.97.

Women 100m Breaststroke -- SEMIFINALS
World Record: 1:04.35 -- Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
Championship Record: 1:04.35 -- Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
World Junior Record: 1:05.39 -- Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2014
American Record: 1:04.45 -- Jessica Hardy (USA), 2009

​1.) Yulia Efimova (Russia) -- 1:04.36​ ​(Q)
2.) Lilly King (USA) -- 1:04.53 ​(Q)
3.) Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) -- 1:05.06 ​(Q)
4.) Katie Meili (USA) -- 1:05.48 ​(Q)
5.) Jinglin Shi (China) -- 1:06.47 ​(Q)
6.) Kierra Smith (Canada) -- 1:06.62 ​(Q)
6.) Jessica Vall (Spain) -- 1:06.62 ​(Q)
8.) Sarah Vasey (Great Britain) -- 1:06.81 ​(Q)

IT. IS. ON. In the first semifinal, Russia's ​Yulia Efimova​ dropped a massive 1:04.36 -- just one one-hundredth off of the world record. What did she do immediately after seeing the scoreboard? Waved her finger... Uh oh. In the second semifinal, ​Lilly King​ of the United States responded by blazing the first 50 meters in 29.90 -- under world record pace -- and finished in 1:04.53. That is a best time for King and you better believe one of these two will break the world record in the final on Tuesday night -- or die trying. In third is the current world record holder, ​Ruta Meilutyte​ of Lithuania, in 1:05.06. This is going to be a race for the ages. 


Men 50m Butterfly -- FINAL
World Record: 22.43 -- Rafael Munoz Perez (Spain), 2009
Championship Record: 22.67 -- Milorad Cavic (Serbia), 2009
World Junior Record: 23.39 -- Li Zhuhao (China), 2015
American Record: 22.76 -- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 2017

1.) Ben Proud (Great Britain) -- 22.75
2.) Nicholas Santos (Brazil) -- 22.79
3.) Andrii Govorov (Ukraine) -- 22.84
4.) Caeleb Dressel (USA) -- 22.89
5.) Joseph Schooling (Singapore) -- 22.95
6.) Henrique Martins (Brazil) -- 23.14
7.) Andrii Khloptsov (Ukraine) -- 23.31
8.) Tim Phillips (USA) -- 23.38

This race was tight across the middle of the pool -- too close to call inside of the flags, as a matter of fact. In the end, it was ​Ben Proud​ of Great Britain -- the world No. 1 coming into the meet -- who got his hand on the wall first in 22.75 ahead of the 37-year-old Brazilian ​Nicholas Santos in 22.79. ​Andrii Govorov​ of the Ukraine rounded out the podium for bronze in 22.84. The United States' ​Caeleb Dressel ​was in good position after the first 20 meters or so, but on the surface looked like he started too spin too much with his arms and lost power from his hips. He finished in fourth with a 22.89 and ​Joseph Schooling ​snagged fifth in 22.95.

Women 100m Backstroke -- SEMIFINALS
World Record: 58.12 -- Gemma Spofforth (Great Britain), 2009
Championship Record: 58.12 -- Gemma Spofforth (Great Britain), 2009
World Junior Record: 59.34 -- Minna Atherton (Australia), 2016
American Record: 58.33 -- Missy Franklin (USA), 2012

​1.) Kylie Masse (Canada) -- 58.18​ ​(Q)
2.) Emily Seebohm (Australia) -- 58.85 ​(Q)
3.) Kathleen Baker (USA) -- 59.03 ​(Q)
4.) Olivia Smoliga (USA) -- 59.07 ​(Q)
5.) Anastasiia Fesikova (Russia) -- 59.26 ​(Q)
6.) Simona Baumrtova (Czech Republic) -- 59.65 ​(Q)
7.) Daria Ustinova (Russia) -- 59.74 ​(Q)
8.) Kathleen Dawson (Great Britain) -- 59.82 ​(Q)

Canada's ​Kylie Masse​ has been on fire in 2017. After posting a 58.21 at Canadian Trials in April, Masse lowered her personal best to a 58.18 in the second semifinal Monday night -- narrowly missing the world record by 0.06 and claiming a tie for the second-fastest performance of all time. Australia's ​Emily Seebohm​ touched in 58.85, good for the second seed going into finals. The United States duo of ​Kathleen Baker​ and ​Olivia Smoliga​ touched for the third and fourth seeds in 59.03 and 59.07, respectively.

Men 200m Freestyle -- SEMIFINALS
World Record: 1:42.00 -- Paul Biedermann (Germany), 2009
Championship Record: 1:42.00 -- Paul Biedermann (Germany), 2009
World Junior Record: 1:47.10 -- Maxime Rooney (USA), 2015
American Record: 1:42.96 -- Michael Phelps (USA), 2008

​1.) Duncan Scott (Great Britain) -- 1:45.16​ ​(Q)
2.) James Guy (Great Britain) -- 1:45.18 ​(Q)
3.) Sun Yang (China) -- 1:45.24 ​(Q)
4.) Townley Haas (USA) -- 1:45.43 ​(Q)
5.) Aleksandr Krasnykh (Russia) -- 1:45.47 ​(Q)
6.) Mikhail Dovgalyuk (Russia) -- 1:45.74 ​(Q)
7.) Dominik Kozma (Hungary) -- 1:45.87 ​(Q)
8.) Park Taehwan (South Korea) -- 1:46.28​ ​(Q)

It was a British affair in the men's 200m freestyle as ​Duncan Scott​ and 2015 world champion ​James Guy​ took the top two seeds in 1:45.16 and 1:45.18, respectively. Last night's champion in the 400m freestyle and the 2016 Olympic champ in the 200m ​Sun Yang ​of China is the third seed heading into finals with a 1:45.24. The most notable point to take away from semifinals is how incredibly deep this event has become. Over the last four years, we haven't seen anybody challenge the world record; however, we have seen the depth grow with countless guys in the 1:45-1:46 range. The top seven guys out of semifinals Monday night were between 1:45.16 and 1:45.87. The eighth seed -- ​Park Taehwan​ of South Korea -- touched in 1:46.28, but has a lifetime best of 1:44.80.​

Prior to the first semifinal with Hungary's ​Dominik Kozma​, the starter almost had to call the swimmers off the blocks due to the incomprehensible amount of noise. Hungary knows how to support their swimmers.

Women 200m IM -- FINAL
World Record: 2:06.12 -- Katinka Hosszu (Hungary), 2015
Championship Record: 2:06.12 -- Katinka Hosszu (Hungary), 2015
World Junior Record: 2:09.98 -- Rikako Ikee (Japan), 2017
American Record: 2:06.15 -- Ariana Kukors (USA), 2009

1.) Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) -- 2:07.00
2.) Yui Ohashi (Japan) -- 2:07.91
3.) Madisyn Cox (USA) -- 2:09.71
4.) Melanie Margalis (USA) -- 2:09.82
5.) Runa Imai (Japan) -- 2:09.99
6.) Seoyeong Kim (South Korea) -- 2:10.40
7.) Siobhan Marie-O'Connor (Great Britain) -- 2:10.41
​**Sydney Pickrem (Canada) -- DNF**

Just like that -- Hungary picks up their first gold medal of the 2017 FINA World Championships at the hands of ​Katinka Hosszu​. The Iron Lady dropped a very fast 2:07.00 in front of the home crowd to get her hand on the wall first -- the sixth fastest performance of all time. With an incredible swim, ​Japan's ​Yui Ohashi​ posted a 2:07.91 -- a new Japanese national record -- for the silver medal. The United States' rookie ​Madisyn Cox ​picked up the bronze medal in 2:09.71 and her teammate ​Melanie Margalis​ was just behind her in 2:09.82 for fourth. Of note, Canada's ​Sydney Pickrem​ got out of the water after the butterfly leg -- reason why to be determined.​

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