Murphy, King & 4×200 Quartet Deliver Gold For the USA On Day 6 At World Titles
Day 6 at the World Swimming Championships here in Budapest was marked by two gold medals for Australia and three more gold medals for the United States, topped by victories for Ryan Murphy in the 200m backstroke, Lilly King in the 200m breaststroke and the men’s 4x200m quartet of Drew Kibler, Carson Foster, Julian Trenton and Kieren Smith.
The American dominance of the medals table with two days to go does not reflect U.S. progress since Tokyo 202One. Rather, we’re looking at a situation where Budapest is the only American long-course target this year, while the rest of then world has at least two targets. The Brits: three, World and European Championships split by the Commonwealth Games.
Absenteeism and under-preparedness have made these championships a space filler on a cluttered calendar more than any other global long-course showcase in history.
Meanwhile, the show goes on.
Men’s 200m backstroke
Day 6 was marked by two gold medals for Australia and three more gold medals for the United States, topped by victories for Ryan Murphy in the 200m backstroke, Lilly King in the 200m breaststroke and the men’s 4x200m quartet of Drew Kibler, Carson Foster, Julian Trenton and Kieren Smith.
The American dominance of the medals table with two days to go does not reflect U.S. progress since Tokyo 202One. Rather, we’re looking at a situation where Budapest is the only American long-course target this year, while the rest of then world has at least two targets. The Brits: three, World and European Championships split by the Commonwealth Games.
Men’s 200m backstroke
Ryan Murphy had the race in a lock from go to gold in 1:54.52, while Luke Greenbank, the Brit who finished third when Murphy was second at the Tokyo Olympics last year promoted himself to silver today in 1:55.16. The battle for bronze also features an American and a Brit and it went to Shaine Casas over an improved Brodie Williams, 1:55.35 to 1:56.16.
The man who took the 200m title in 2019 and then the Olympic crown in Tokyo, Russian Evgeny Rylov, was barred from the Championships, firstly as part of sanctions against the aggressor in the war on Ukraine and then because Rylov received a nine-month suspension from global regulator FINA for appearing at a war rally in Moscow staged by Vladimir Putin.
Murphy noted: “I am taking in this moment and I’m really proud of it. But At the same time I know that when I get back into training I’ve got to be better over these next two years, that’s on me, that’s on my coaches to try and figure out where we’re going to get those tenths, where we’re going to get those seconds.
Asked if he welcomed Russia being banned for the foreseeable future, he said: “I think sport has the power to bring people together – something like the Olympics last summer we were able to come together regardless of the fact that covid was going on. At the same time you can’t ignore what’s going on in Ukraine, you can’t ignore the impact that is having on some swimmers who are competing here. We’ll see how this situation unfolds and the people that really know a lot about it and are going to make those decisions.”
Aske to assess his race and where he is in his preparation cycle, Greenbank, coached by Mel Marshall, said: “Yesterday (semi) it hurt a lot coming back and I needed to control the first 100 a lot more. I felt so much better coming back into it tonight and knee I had a good swim in me. To come away with silver, you can’t ask for more.
“I don’t feel like I’m in the best shape. With not a lot of break after Tokyo and ISL, it messed up the first cycle, and the third cycle I feel like I’m back where I was pre-Tokyo. I’m glad I raced ISL. But after Euros, Mel has promised me a month off.”
Luke Greenbank – image courtesy of British Swimming
Greenbank has turned into a big-time performer in recent seasons and noted: “Consistency is something I’m good at. Mel has described me as boringly consistent, which meant as a compliment but it’s a bit of backhanded compliment. How to handle yourself over an eight-day meet is also important. That’s one of my strengths but I have a long way to go and come Paris I want to be challenging for that gold.”
Which would mean beating Murphy. Said Greenbank, Loughborough and Britain teammate and training partner of Adam Peaty: “It’s achievable but it won’t be easy. He’s a fantastic competitor and he’s proved he’s one of the best backstrokers in the world over the years.”
Greenbank will head to Commonwealth Games for England next month and then Europeans for Britain in August. The season is what it is, he suggested, and he would take it “one meet at a time”.
“It’s something we’ve never had to deal with as Brits before and that double taper,” he added. “I’ll take one competition at a time and try and get the best out of every competition possible.”
Women’s 200m breaststroke
Lilly King is queen again after the American roared from fifth to gold down the last length to a 2:22.41 victory ahead of Australian Jenna Stauch, 2:23.04, and the champion’s teammate Kate Douglass, 2:23.20.
For King, the Olympic 100m champion of 2016, the win meant a 10th World-Championship medals and a debut World title over 200m. She said: “I guess I’m a distance swimmer now, so that kind of stinks, but super excited and I know that is something that’s really hard to do, that has been one of my goals for a really long time, so I’m excited. It’s really nice to complete the set. Welcoming this new chapter of my career and I’m very happy with that win.”
Men’s 4x200m freestyle
Britain claimed an historic Olympic gold in the 4x200m freestyle in Tokyo last year but the team arrived in Budapest weakened by a lack of preparation time because of post-Games breaks and the absence of Duncan Scott, who was forced to withdraw from the championships by a Covid infection.
Today in Budapest, the 4x200m title went to the United States ahead of Australia in 7mins 00.24 to 7:03.50, Britain on 7:04.00 for bronze.
The new champions are Drew Kibler, 1:45.54, Carson Foster, 1:45.04, Trenton Julian, 1:45.31, and Kieran Smith, 1:44.35.
Kibler recalled fourth place for the USA at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and said: “Kieran and I were actually just looking at a photo taken right after we touched fourth at the Olympics last year and it’s a pretty defeating photo. We were looking at it just before we came here like ‘We’re not going to experience that again.’ And it’s pretty exciting to do this along with my Texas teammate. I see Carson work day in and day out for this and it’s pretty special to stand on top of the podium at worlds with them.”
Elijah Winnington, Zac Incerti, Sam Short and Mack Horton claimed the silver for Australia, while James Guy, Jacob Whittle, Joe Litchfield handed over to Olympic 200m freestyle champion Tom Dean in fifth before Dean clawed back a 2-3sec deficit on Australia and Brazil for bronze.
If Americans look back on Tokyo as a reminder of not only rare defeat but even rarer lack of any medal, then Australia looks back at 2019 and knows it lost a title today and Britain looks back at Tokyo and knows it is a much better quartet: Team GB clocked 6:58.58 for a European-record victory at the Olympics, the time the swiftest ever in textile and just 0.03sec shy of the World record set by the United States in bodysuits now banned in 2009.
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