2019 Worlds: US Streak of Men’s 200 IM Golds Ends at 8 as Kalisz Takes Bronze

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
• Meet site
• Competition Schedule
• FinaTV Live Stream
• Entry Lists
• Results

The United States’ stranglehold on gold medals in the men’s 200 IM at the FINA World Championships has come to an end after 16 years and eight wins as defending champion Chase Kalisz took third Thursday in Gwangju.

For the first time since 2001, a non-American will stand atop the podium, as Japan’s Daiya Seto won in 1:56.14. Jeremy Desplanches, of Switzerland, took the silver medal in 1:56.56, and Kalisz went 1:56.78. Seto owned fourth-fastest time in the world this season heading into the meet, and Desplanches the fifth-fastest. Kalisz, who raced minimally this season, had the eighth-fastest time (from January); his best time is 1:55.40 from his win at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.

World Champions Since 2001 – Men’s 200 IM:

• 2001: Massimiliano Rosolino (ITA)
• 2003: Michael Phelps (USA)
• 2005: Michael Phelps (USA)
• 2007: Michael Phelps (USA)
• 2009: Ryan Lochte (USA)
• 2011: Ryan Lochte (USA)
• 2013: Ryan Lochte (USA)
• 2015: Ryan Lochte(USA)
• 2017: Chase Kalisz (USA)
• 2019: Daiya Seto (JPN)

The streak comes to an end a day after world record holder Ryan Lochte became eligible to race following a 14-month suspension for receiving vitamins intravenously at a rate over the allowed limit. Lochte’s world record of 1:54.00 stand from the 2011 FINA World Championships. Phelps won the last four straight Olympic titles in the event, with Lochte taking silver in 2004 and 2012.

Kalisz was the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the 400 IM and is the third-fastest performer in history at 4:05.90 behind Phelps (4:03.84) and Lochte (4:05.18). He will take on Seto, the fastest man in the world this season by three seconds, in that event on Sunday.