The American Katie Ledecky made her legend even bigger by winning her seventeenth gold medal in a universal event, the second in the present World Championships in Budapest, after winning the final of the 1,500 free on Monday.
An extraordinary record that did not prevent, however, that Ledecky, the undisputed "Queen" of swimming, had to share the spotlight with the Italian Thomas Ceccon who achieved the first world record for these championships, setting a new record for the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.60 seconds.
Brand that not only served the 21-year-old transalpine swimmer to win the gold medal, but also to forget the absence of the Russians Evgeny Rylov and Kliment Kolesnikov, gold and silver in the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, absent from the capital Magyar for the sanctions imposed on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.
Without the presence of the two Russian backrunners, the victory seemed destined for the American Ryan Murphy, the current universal record holder, who was looking for his first world champion title in Budapest in an individual event.
A favoritism that Murphy, who won the double in the 100 and 200 backstroke at the Rio 2016 Games, insisted on a fast-paced first pitch that placed the American at the head of the event with an advantage of 12 hundredths over Ceccon.
A difference that the Italian completely wiped away with a sensational flip that allowed him to face a last pitch in first position in which Ceccon flew to snatch not only the gold medal, but also the world record from Ryan Murphy, who had to settle, once again in a World Cup, with the silver medal.
LEDECKY FIND NO RIVALS IN BUDAPEST
A metal that does not seem to be part of the plans of the American Katie Ledecky at the Budapest World Championships, in which she has already won two golds, after adding the victory she won last Saturday in the 400 freestyle to the victory achieved this Monday in the final of the 1,500.
If in the 400 free the North American did not find a rival on her way to the gold medal, much less in the 1,500, as demonstrated by the more than 4 seconds in which she leads her compatriot Katie Grimes in the first 500 meters, which Ledecky swam below his own world record.
Difference that did not stop growing, despite the fact that Ledecky significantly slowed down her pace, until reaching more than 14 seconds by which the North American, who signed a time of 15:30.15 minutes, beat the very young Grimes, only 16 years.
POPOVICI ANNOUNCES HIS FUTURE AS A SUPERSTAR
One less than the Romanian David Popovici, who at 17 years old, confirmed the expectations that place him as the next great star of world swimming, by being crowned the new world champion of the 200 free with a time of 1:43.21 minutes, the fifth best mark of all time.
Only the universal record holder, the German Paul Bidermann, who achieved a stratospheric 1:42.00 minutes in a polyurethane swimsuit in 2009, the American Michael Phelps (1:42.96) and the Frenchman Yannick Agnel (1:43.14) have swum in the story faster than Popovici.
And it is that the Romanian, who already entered the final with the best time of all the participants, had to swim faster than ever to prevail in a final of the 200 free, which today is possibly the most competitive in the program swimming pool
A fact that still enhances the victory of David Popovici who led the South Korean Sunwoo Hwang by 1.26 seconds, another superstar project, who won the silver medal with a time of 1:44.47, and by 1.77 the British Tom Dean, the current world champion, bronze with 1:44.98.
REGAN SMITH BEATS KYLIE MASSE IN A VIBRANT DUEL
If the men’s 200 freestyle was a test marked in red, the final of the women’s 100 backstroke was not less expected, despite the absence of the Australian Kaylee McKeown, the current Olympic champion and universal record holder, who resigned from participating in the series to focus on the 200 styles.
Low that did not prevent living a vibrant duel between the American Regan Smith, bronze in Tokyo, and the Canadian Kylie Masse, silver in the Japanese capital, who opted for 18 hundredths in favor of the American, who hung the gold with a time of 58.22 seconds.
PILATE GETS THE GOLD IN THE RESURRECTION OF MEILUTYTE
For her part, Benedetta Pilato extended the Italian party at the Duna Arena after being crowned the new 100 breaststroke world champion with a time of 1:05.93, in a final that marked the rebirth of the Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte.
The Lithuanian swimmer, who at just 15 years old was proclaimed Olympic champion at the 2012 London Games, returned seven years later to a world podium after hanging the bronze medal in a final in which the American Lilly King disappointed, who despite Starting as the top favourite, she could only be fourth.
