USA break world record again

Budapest : The United States broke the world record for the mixed 4x100m medley relay for the second time yesterday to win world championship gold, just hours after lowering the mark in the heats.

The American quartet of Matt Grevers, Lilly King, Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel clocked three minutes 38.56 seconds with Australia taking silver, 2.65sec back.

Canada and China shared bronze after both finished 2.69sec behind.

In the morning heats, the USA shattered the previous record with a time of 3:40.28.  

Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, the Olympic 400m individual medley champ, was the quickest in the men’s 200m IM heats, clocking 1:56.46,. His compatriot Daiya Seto, the 400m IM world champion was fourth fastest at 0.67 secs back.

Chinese teenager Qin Haiyang swam a new junior world record of 1:59.01 to qualify as eighth fastest for the evening semi-finals.

Following her 200m individual medley gold medal on Monday, home-crowd favourite Katinka Hosszu blasted her way into the women’s 200m butterfly semi-finals as the fastest qualifier in 2:07.25. China’s Zhang Yufei was just behind at 0.25 secs back with compatriot Zhou Yilin at 0.47.

As they always do when a Hungarian swimmer enters the water, the crowd roared Hosszu home.

Hungarian backstroker Sara Joo said the home support is nothing like she has experienced before in Budpest. 

“I have already swum in front of a home crowd at the European Championships two times, but this one has a completely different atmosphere. It was fantastic,” she said after her heat. China’s Fu Yuanhui was fastest through the women’s 50m backstroke heats into the semis.

The Olympic bronze medallist over 100m clocked 27.21 secs, just 0.15 off the world record.