Sports42 FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017

McEvoy ready for ‘dogfight’ in men’s 100m freestyle final

BUDAPEST: Cameron McEvoy expects a “very fast” men’s 100m freestyle final at the world champi- onships with a “dog-fight” on the cards and the blue riband event wide open. France’s Mehdy Metella clocked the fastest time from Wednesday’s semi- finals of 47.65 seconds, but all of the top five swam under 48 secs. With both Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers and China’s world champion Ning Zetao missing in Budapest, the 100m title is up for grabs. Australia’s McEvoy, 23, the world silver medallist two years ago in Kazan, was fourth fastest at just 0.30 secs behind the Frenchman. United States sprinters Nathan Adrian and Caeleb Dressel, plus McEvoy and 18-year-old Jack Cartwright of Australia, joined Metella in going under the 48-seconds mark in the semis. “The top five guys have all sneaked under 48 — usually you’re lucky to get that in a final. Relative to 2015 only me and the winner went under that,” said McEvoy. “It’s exciting, it’s all about soaking it up on the night, historically anyone can do it. “There’s always at least someone unexpected who is in the BUDAPEST: Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Balandin competes in a men’s 200m heat during the competi- top three. I think it’s going to be very fast.” tion at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, yesterday. — AFP Britain’s Duncan Scott clocked 48.10, just 0.48secs behind the Frenchman and has a chance of a medal. SWIMMING “Bring on the dogfight, there’s going to be fast times all over the shop,” said the 20-year-old Scotsman. “It might take a personal best just to get a medal or even reach the top five.” Ahead of the men’s 200m Campbell braced for individual medley final, Chase Kalisz of the USA was the fastest qualifier at 1:55.88 with Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, the Olympic 400m individual medley champ, ‘fist-fight’ in semi-finals just behind. His compatriot Daiya Seto, the 400m IM world BUDAPEST: Defending champion Bronte medallists from the Rio Olympics, were at good spot,” he said. China’s Xu Jiayu, who champion was fifth fastest. “It felt good, I’m excited Campbell is braced for a “fist-fight” in the 0.71 and 0.79 back respectively. Dutch won the men’s 100m backstroke gold on for the final,” said Kalisz, the 400m IM silver medallist 100m freestyle semi-finals after a flurry of sprinter , the 2012 Tuesday in Budapest, was the fifth fastest at last year’s Olympics. China’s Fu Yuanhui was sec- fast times from top names in the heats. Olympic champion, was sixth fastest at at 0.81secs behind Murphy. ond quickest into the women’s 50m backstroke final Just as in the men’s race, the women’s 0.44, while Australia’s Emma McKeon was “It was good, I’m trying to move through behind Brazil’s Etiene Medeiros, who clocked blue riband event is shaping up to be a at 0.46. McKeon, who has already won four these heats as easy as possible,” said 27.18secs-just 0.12 short of the world-record. fierce scrap in the pool at the world aquat- silvers in the 200m freestyle, 100m butter- Murphy. Having set a new world record in Emily Seebohm, who won bronze when ’s ics championships. fly, 4x100m freestyle and mixed 4x100m the women’s 100m breaststroke on Kylie Masse broke the women’s world record in the Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, who set a medley, is battling fatigue and her rivals. Tuesday, 20-year-old Lilly King of the USA 100m backstroke final on Tuesday, and Australia new world record of 51.71secs in Budapest “It felt quite comfortable, but that was was second fastest into Thursday’s semi- team-mate Holly Barratt were joint fifth fastest as on Sunday, was fastest in the morning my ninth race,” said the 23-year-old. “I finals over 200m at 0.25 sec, behind Britain’s both swam 27.51. “I was really happy with that, it’s heats, clocking 53.01secs. Australia’s knew that this morning, it would be quite Molly Renshaw, who clocked 2:24.03. pretty close to my best, but I know I did an average Campbell, the world gold medallist in the challenging to get myself going. “I was set Australia’s Taylor McKeown, the 2014 start again, so I’m looking forward to hopefully get- 50m and 100m freestyle in Kazan two a different warm up this morning and it Commonwealth champion, was third ting everything right,” said Seebohm. years ago, was eighth fastest, but just 0.55 helped to refresh my mind.” fastest at 0.28. With breaststroke sensation Germany’s Franziska Hentke was the fastest into behind Sjostrom. opting not to contest the the women’s 200m butterfly final after clocking “It’s nice not to have to go at maximum LARKIN’S CRUISE CONTROL 200m, of Russia was the speed, but tonight it’s going to be a fist Defending champion Mitch Larkin of fastest into Thursday’s semis at 2:08.73 2:06.29, but China’s Yilin Zhou was just 0.34 behind fight to get into the final,” said Campbell. Australia squeezed into the men’s 200m with Britain’s at 0.75 back. her. Following her 200m individual medley gold Sjostrom, who won the 100m butterfly backstroke semis as 13th fastest at Germany’s , the defending medal on Monday, home-crowd favourite Katinka gold on Monday, was happy to be back 1.89secs behind Ryan Murphy, the world champion, was 13th fastest at 2.17, Hosszu was the sixth fastest and says fatigue is not an competing “after two days off”. Olympic champion, the quickest who while Olympic champion, Dmitriy Balandin issue despite having raced every day so far at these “I had the speed from the start, but clocked 1.56.11. of Kazakhstan was 10th quickest at 1.95. In championships. “I don’t feel exhausted really, I have there’s no point in going for it, so I just Larkin said his slow time was all part of the heat’s for Thursday night’s 4x200m some reserves left although I have swum quite a lot kept the momentum up,” she said. Simone the plan. “I felt pretty groovy, I had a fair freestyle final, China clocked the fastest time already. The final tomorrow will tell how much I can Manuel of the United States and Canada’s bit left in the last 50 metres and could of 7:51.75 with Japan, the United States and take,” said Hungary’s ‘Iron Lady’. — AFP Penny Oleksiak, the joint Olympic gold have lifted it at a little bit, but felt I was in a Australia also safely through. — AFP Hamilton seeking sixth Hungarian Rhapsody

BUDAPEST: Lewis Hamilton would head off this year’s 20 races, has already won a record “We can’t get that kind of thing to our to improve on.” Bottas’s caution is well-placed for Formula One’s annual European summer five times at the tight, dusty, slow and techni- mind that we are quicker,” said Bottas. “We as German Vettel and Ferrari are sure to holidays on top of the drivers’ world champi- cal Hungaroring circuit. After his supreme per- don’t want to do that. We want to be feeling launch a fightback and will be focused on pre- onship with a record sixth victory at the formance in dominating the British Grand on our back foot, we want to be able to venting Hamilton and Mercedes securing any Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. The Prix, Hamilton will arrive full of confidence, improve the car and we know it is very track kind of advantage. three-time world champion could also draw but mindful of the dangers of complacency, specific. “That’s a fact because we’ve had Vettel has led the championship since the level with seven-time champion Michael thanks to a timely reminder from Mercedes quite high-speed circuits now the last two season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but has Schumacher in the record books with his 68th team-mate Valtteri Bottas. The Finn, who has races. was a special one, but the next not won in four outings since the Monaco event pole position, if he produces another signa- shown a liking for similarly demanding tracks race in Budapest is completely different. in May. A return to a slower and lower-grip track, ture demonstration of one-lap pace for this year, notably by winning the Russian “It’s got very slow speed corners, really in hot conditions, will encourage Ferrari to Mercedes in tomorrow’s qualifying. Grand Prix at Sochi, has warned his team not high temperatures, so we are not going to be believe they may gain the initiative, but they The 32-year-old Briton, one point behind to believe that their one-two at Silverstone too confident there. We know that we have know too that Bottas and Mercedes have been leader Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari after 10 of signalled they had overhauled Ferrari. still work to do and plenty of things we need the top combination since Monaco.—AFP