44 Friday Sports Friday, July 26, 2019 Dressel scorcher as China slam ‘unacceptable’ doping protests GWANGJU: American Caeleb Dressel swam the to milk the crowd’s applause, raising a fist to flag- second-fastest 100m freestyle in history to retain waving American fans. Chalmers touched in 47.08 his world title yesterday as China lashed out at the with Russia’s Vladislav Grinev the best of the rest anti-doping protests targeting Olympic star Sun in 47.82. The world record of 46.91 was set by Yang. Dressel, 22, clocked a jaw-dropping 46.96 Brazilian Cesar Cielo in 2009. “I gave it my all seconds in Gwangju, pipping Olympic champion tonight,” said Chalmers. “But I saw Caeleb did 46.9 Kyle Chalmers to win swimming’s blue riband event — which is absolutely mind-blowing.” in swashbuckling style. Elsewhere, Daiya Seto captured Japan’s first Meanwhile, Australian Matt Wilson tied the gold medal of the competition by sweeping to vic- men’s 200m breaststroke world record to underline tory in the men’s 200m individual medley in his title credentials, before Australia set a new 1:56.14. Seto, twice a 400m medley gold medallist, world mark in the women’s 4x200m free. The light- refused to buckle under pressure as he held off ning-fast performances helped refocus attention on Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches to win by just the pool after a week dominated by protests cen- under half-a-second, with defending champion tring on China’s Sun, the triple Olympic champion Chase Kalisz taking bronze. Wilson won his 200m who is accused of destroying blood samples after breaststroke semi-final in 2:06.67 — tying the a visit from drug testers. world record held by Japan’s Ippei Watanabe, who China’s head coach Zhou Jijong called the ac- also qualified for Friday’s final. tions against Sun, when Australia’s Mack Horton and Briton Duncan Scott both snubbed him on the ‘Beyond my wildest beliefs’ podium, “harmful” and “prejudiced”. “It is unbeliev- “It’s beyond my wildest beliefs,” said Wilson. able and unacceptable that some people publicly “It’s given me a world of confidence.” Boglarka defiled the innocence of an elite athlete based on Kapas made it a Hungarian double in the 200m fly GWANGJU: USA’s Caeleb Dressel celebrates winning the final of the men’s 100m freestyle event during the swim- speculation and hearsay,” Zhou told Chinese media. as she stormed to women’s gold in 2:06.78 from ming competition at the 2019 World Championships at Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center. —AFP In the highlight of the evening races, Dressel ex- American Hali Flickinger, 24 hours after country- ploded from the blocks to lead by a body-length at man Kristof Milak pulverised Michael Phelps’s 10- the turn and finished strong as he bagged his third year-old world record. record 7:41.50 with the United States also duck- said. “Tonight was all about conserving energy — gold of the week. “It hurt, it hurt really bad to be American great Katie Ledecky returned to ing under China’s old mark. I just knew I had to stick with Sarah and if I did honest,” winced the tattooed American. “You don’t the pool after pulling out of her 1,500m title de- World-record holder Sarah Sjostrom qualified then I would qualify no worries.” However, there get that magical feeling every night — you’ve just fense and the 200m free heats earlier in the fastest for the women’s 100m final in 52.43 from was drama as American Lilly King was disqualified got to shut the brain off and go.” week, producing a strong second leg in the Cate Campbell, whose blistering anchor leg from the women’s 200m breaststroke heats for an Dressel, who racked up seven world titles in women’s 4x200m free. But the Aussies clung on, brought Australia a gold medal in the 4x100m illegal turn. A subsequent appeal was rejected and Budapest two years ago, high-fived his Aussie rival as Emma McKeon anchored the green and gold mixed medley relay on Wednesday.”I was defi- King’s bitter rival, Russian Yulia Efimova, secured Chalmers before perching himself on a lane rope to a third relay title of the week in a world- nitely up pinging a little bit last night,” Campbell lane four for Friday’s final. —AFP Campbell stalks Manuel Phelps hails ‘incredible’ at swimming worlds Milak for world record GWANGJU: Defending champion Simone Manuel set the pace in the women’s 100 meters freestyle yesterday as normal service re- GWANGJU: Michael Phelps paid tribute to Hungarian teenager sumed at the swimming world championships after a doping storm Kristof Milak’s “beautiful technique” after he took down the Amer- threatened to spiral out of control. As fallout lingered on two sep- ican legend’s long-standing 200 meters butterfly record at the arate podium protests made by athletes after FINA doping testers world championships in South Korea. Phelps described Milak’s time alleged China’s Sun Yang had destroyed blood samples, there was of one minute, 50.73 seconds in Gwangju as “incredible”, although more drama as American Lilly King suffered a shock breaststroke he admitted his astonishment was tinged with sadness at losing a disqualification in Gwangju. world record which had stood since 2009. A buzzing Cate Campbell posted the fourth fastest time in “As frustrated as I am to see that record go down, I couldn’t be Gwangju the morning after her blistering anchor leg brought Aus- GWANGJU: USA’s Simone Manuel competes in the semi-final of the women’s happier to see how he did it,” Phelps told the New York Times. tralia gold in the 4x100m mixed medley relay and looks a serious 100m freestyle event during the swimming competition at the 2019 World Cham- “That kid’s last 100 was incredible. He put together a great 200 fly threat to Manuel. “I was definitely up pinging a little bit last night,” pionships at Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center. —AFP from start to finish.” The 19-year-old Milak sliced a whopping 0.78 Campbell told AFP after clocking 53.36 seconds. “But I got seconds off Phelps’s previous world best, which was achieved dur- enough sleep to get through this morning, so I’m happy with that. ing the bodysuit era, after flirting with the record for much of the I’m really looking forward to a big nap today.” including fellow Olympic champion Adam Peaty, has expressed past season. “It happened because there was a kid who wanted to Manuel, who tied for 2016 Olympic gold with Canada’s Penny solidarity with Australian Mack Horton and Briton Duncan Scott do it, who dreamed of doing it, who figured out what it would take Oleksiak, topped the time sheets with a 53.10 heading into the after they snubbed Sun Yang on the podium after losing to the to do it,” said Phelps, who had a special fondness for the 200m fly. evening’s semi-finals. But Campbell could have the American’s hulking Chinese swimmer. “(He) worked on his technique until it was beautiful and put in the number after chasing her down in Wednesday’s mixed relay and Horton, beaten in the 400m free last weekend, and Scott, really, really hard work that it takes to do it — my hat’s off to him.” Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom also lurks having set the second fastest bronze medallist behind Sun in the 200m free, sparked a furious Milak became the first swimmer to go under 1:51 minutes, while time, just one hundredth slower than Manuel. Sjostrom, who was reaction from China’s sporting idol and the communist country’s his winning margin was, remarkably, more than three seconds as carried out on a stretcher on Wednesday after taking bronze in state-run media. Canada’s Sydney Pickrem, who has collected Japan’s Daiya Seto finished a distant second and the South African the 200m freestyle, joked: “I felt great after they gave me the oxy- bronze in the women’s 200 and 400m individual medley at these Chad le Clos third. Le Clos, who famously beat Phelps in the 2012 gen — maybe I should take that all the time.” Italian Federica Pel- championships, set the best time in the 200m breaststroke heats London Olympic final, shrugged: “Kristof is in another league — legrini, who retained her 200m title, failed to qualify. in 2:24.53. he’s a hell of a lot faster than all of us.” Milak said he was “honored” Meanwhile, American great Katie Ledecky continues to strug- to break a world record held by Phelps, who he had worshipped Sun snub gle with a mystery illness that forced her to pull out of the 1,500m growing up and watched videos of to polish his technique. “I wasn’t King was booted out of the women’s 200m breaststroke after freestyle final and 200m free heats earlier in the week. Team USA expecting to break the record,” he admitted. “But if you put in the winning her heat after the American was adjudged to have failed officials confirmed that the 14-time world champion could swim hard work, good things happen and I was ready. I just tried to block to touch with both hands at a turn, prompting an appeal from the the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay but a final decision would be everything out and find a good rhythm.” —AFP United States. The 22-year-old, along with several top swimmers made before Thursday’s late final.