Medal Count: U.S., China Have Big Days to Solidify 1-2 Position

After a light day on the podium yesterday, Team USA bounced back on day five of the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, winning four medals (two gold, one silver, one bronze), and setting themselves up for (likely) at least another four tomorrow.  Ryan Lochte opened up the session in a big way, running away with his first gold medal of the meet in the men’s 200 IM, his signature event.  Sprinters Jimmy Feigen and Nathan Adrian kept the ball rolling in the next final of the session (the men’s 100 freestyle), finishing 2-3 in a very fast field (on paper, anyway).  The American women got in on the action in the final event of the session, winning gold behind a brilliant 1:54.27 in the women’s 4×200 free relay.

With a 1-2 finish from Zhao Jing and Fu Yuanhui in the women’s 50 backstroke and another gold in the women’s 200 fly from (world record holder) Liu Zige, China has put a firm hold on the second spot in the medal count (although Australia has a higher total, China has twice as many gold medals).  China can expect some more hardware over the final three days of the week, led by Sun Yang’s practically-inevitable win in the men’s 1500 free.  The Chinese men also have a shot at the podium in the men’s 800 freestyle relay, having won bronze at the Olympics a year ago.

Some other medal notes from day five…

• Mireia Belmote Garcia narrowly missed clipping current world record holder Liu Zige for gold in the women’s 200 fly, touching in 2:04.78 to Liu’s 2:04.59, breaking her own national record in the process.  The silver was the second medal of the meet for Belmonte Garcia, and the third overall for the Spanish team.
• Katinka Hosszu won her second medal of the meet, taking bronze in the women’s 200 fly.  Hosszu and Belmonte Garcia have both been incredibly successful thus far in undertaking absolutely brutal schedules.  Each lady is swimming six individual events (four down, two to go), with Belmonte Garcia also being a critical piece on Spain’s 800 free relay (and possibly a member of their 400 medley).
• Australia has the second largest medal total of the competition, with two golds and six silvers.
• Great Britain has an excellent chance to pick up its first medal(s) of 2013 Worlds tomorrow in the men’s 200 breaststroke.  The Brits have two of the top five qualifiers out of semifinals, including fifth seed Michael Jamieson, who is easily #1 in the world in 2013; his 2:07.73 is almost a full second faster than the next fastest remaining swimmer (Daniel Gyurta – 2:08.50).
• The German team also has a great shot to crack the podium for the first time tomorrow, as well, with Marco Koch seeded second in the men’s 200 breast.