Miracle man Qin wins second world gold ahead of blockbuster
SINGAPORE (AFP) China's Haiyang Qin celebrated "a miracle" second gold at the world championships in Singapore on Friday, on the eve of a blockbuster showdown between Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh.Roared on by a large number of screaming Chinese fans, world record holder Qin touched the wall in 2min 07.41sec in a nailbiter of a 200m breaststroke final.The 26-year-old won the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week, but he celebrated his second victory as if it were his first.He punched the air before standing with his arms spread wide to soak up the acclaim of the Chinese fans.Japan's Ippei Watanabe (2:07.70) won silver and Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands (2:07.73) took bronze.Qin started the race in lane eight after qualifying slowest from the semi-finals, but it made no difference as he regained in style the world title he won in 2023."Amazing," said Qin. "Have you heard of the lane eight miracle?"I did not know if I was second or third, I just heard 'whoo', so I knew I had won."Qin is returning to form after flopping at last year's Paris Olympics, where he did not even make the final of the 200m breaststroke.His preparations for the Games were thrown into turmoil when he was implicated in a major doping scandal months before the Games.A report named Qin among 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for a prescription heart drug ahead of the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympics.They were not sanctioned after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted the argument of Chinese authorities that the positive tests were caused by contaminated food.Defending champion Marrit Steenbergen denied Mollie O'Callaghan a sprint double as the Dutchwoman won the 100m freestyle.Steenbergen held off a late charge from the 200m champion O'Callaghan to touch the wall in 52.55sec, forcing her Australian rival to settle for second in 52.67.American Torri Huske, who withdrew from a race earlier in the week after suffering from a stomach bug, was third in 52.89.Steenbergen won world championship gold in the event in Doha last year in a field missing several big names, saving themselves for the Paris Olympics."In Doha, I was like, this is crazy to win, but in this field I don't know what to feel, I'm just so happy," said the 25-year-old.Olympic champion Hubert Kos won a fierce battle against South Africa's Pieter Coetze in the 200m backstroke final.The Hungarian held off a surging Coetze to seize gold in 1:53.19, just 0.17 seconds ahead of his rival, who won the 100m in Singapore. Bronze went to France's Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (1:54.62).Women's 200m breaststroke gold went to another reigning Olympic champion, the American Kate Douglass.She powered to victory in a championship record 2:18.50, ahead of the Russian world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova (2:19.96) and Kaylene Corbett of South Africa (2:23.52).Day six of the competition concluded with red-hot favourites Britain clinching gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay, with China second and Australia third.It was Britain's first title in Singapore.
Ledecky vs McIntosh On Saturday, McIntosh and Ledecky will go head-to-head in the 800m freestyle final, billed as the race of the competition.American great Ledecky, 28, is the undisputed master in the event, having won the title at the last four Olympics and updating her world record in May this year.But McIntosh, 10 years Ledecky's junior, is in the mood to snatch her crown as she looks to join Michael Phelps as the only swimmer to win five individual titles at a single world championships.
The 18-year-old Canadian has already bagged three golds from three events in Singapore, and she clocked the third-fastest 800m freestyle time ever in June.
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