Swimming Video / Race Video is courtesy of Universal Sports Network, a SwimSwam partner.
As reported by SwimSwam / Braden Keith
WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINALS
2012 World Champ: 2:02.20 – Katinka Hosszu – Hungary
2010 World Champ: 2:03.59 – Mireia Belmonte Garcia – Spain
Meet Record: 2:02.20 – Katinka Hosszu – Hungary – 2012 1:59.61 – Mireia Belmonte – 2014
World Record: 2:00.78 – Liu Zhige – China – 2009 1:59.61 – Mireia Belmonte – 2014
In our day 1 finals preview, we warned our readers not to sleep on Mireia Belmonte, who was the “Katinka Hosszu of this meet before Katinka Hosszu was the “Katinka Hosszu” of this meet. In her first finals swim of the evening, Belmonte made us look good, breaking the World Record in the women’s 200 fly with a 1:59.61. That crushed by over a second the 2009 suited record of China’s Liu Zige.
This record, and the win for that matter, was all done on the last 50 meters. Hosszu had a half-second lead going into the final 50 before Belmonte split 30.65 and Hosszu split 32.72. The final margin didn’t indicate just how good of a race this was, but the splits and the video (which we will have after the session) do.
Hosszu took 2nd in 2:01.12 – still a marvelous swim for her and a new lifetime best and Hungarian Record by a full second.
Lost in the wake was Germany’s Franziska Hentke in 2:03.89 – just off of her German Record swim from last year’s European Championships.
China’s Yufei Zhang was 4th in 2:04.91, followed by Italy’s Alessia Polieri (2:05.52), American Cammile Adams (2:06.35), and Australian Brianna Throssell (2:06.40).
Katinka Hosszu Record Braking and Award Winning performance is included in 7 greatest sports moments of 2014, in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuezzCTFpbA
I noticed both Hosszu and Belmonte Garcia breathe every stroke and most of the others in the heat did as well. Is this what most of the top swimmers are doing these days? How about on the men’s side?
If Hosszu is the “Iron Lady”, Mireia is the “Gold Lady” 🙂
Hosszu cannot execute when Mireia Bemonte is around. Hosszu gets so Nervous she burns up quite early. Meanwhile the Spanish Queen Mireia Belmonte stays Cool under pressure and executes so beautifully the final turns she knows in her mind who is Number One despite receiving no accolades, no mentions or whopper cheques. Well Done Miss Belmonte.
Am I the only one that thinks Hosszu swam a bad race? Out way too fast and really died at the end. Her splits:
26.97, 30.42, 31.01, 32.72
In contrast, her are Belmonte’s:
27.75, 30.49, 30.72, 30.65
If Hosszu took it out 0.5 slower, she probably could have held a much more consistent splits and probably stayed much closer to Belmonte.
My thoughts exactly.
Looked like Belmonte nailed her race plan perfectly, while Hozzu misjudged hers.
Crazy swim from Belmonte, that last 50m was insane.
This is an amazing swim for two reasons. The first is that the time is unbelievable. The second is that someone is finally swimming the 200 fly correctly. We always see a large drop off from the second 50 to the third/fourth 50s. Belmonte remained consistent and built her underwaters throughout the swim.
Belmonte Garcia hit that last turn perfectly. That was a beautifully executed race.
Amazing battle between these 2 Iron Ladies!
So ahead of the rest of the field!
Hosszu was a wonderful rabbit for Belmonte.
Mireia has a huge motor and always has a huge back-half.
She has much more success in short course in her career so far. Hopefully she can grab a gold medal next year in Kazan and in 2 years in Rio in that event. She deserves it.
A sub 2 minute performance is amazing.
That WR should last a very long time.
I don’t think she will break it but perhaps Mireia will swim a little closer to the unbeatable Liu Zige’s long course world record of 2.01.81 in the future.… Read more »