Chase Kalisz continued America’s dominance of the men’s 200 metres individual medley as the United States enjoyed a memorable evening at the World Aquatics Championships on Thursday.
Kalisz’s win set the tone before rising U.S. star Caeleb Dressel snatched victory in the men’s 100 metres freestyle and the American quartet powered to gold in the women’s 4x200 freestyle relay.
Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte had dominated the 200m medley event since 2003 and the only American in the field delivered again as Kalisz posted one minute 55.56 seconds at the Duna Arena.
Local favourite Katinka Hosszu of Hungary had briefly lifted the arena noise to deafening heights in the women’s 200m butterfly final. Hosszu, 28, set the pace in the opening stages of a race won defiantly by Mireia Belmonte of Spain in two minutes 05.26 seconds.
The results: Men: 200m medley: 1. Chase Kalisz (USA) 1:55.56s, 2. Kosuke Hagino (Jpn) 1:56.01, 3. Wang Shun (Chn) 1:56.28; 100m freestyle: 1. Caeleb Dressel (USA) 47.17, 2. Nathan Adrian (USA) 47.87, 3. Mehdy Metella (Fra) 47.89.
Women: 50m backstroke: 1. Etienne Medeiros (Bra) 27.14s, 2. Fu Yuanhui (Chn) 27.15, 3. Aliaksandra Herasimenia (Blr) 27.23; 200m butterfly: 1. Mireia Belmonte (Esp) 2:05.26, 2. Franziska Hentke (Ger) 2:05.39, 3. Katinka Hosszu (Hun) 2:06.02.
4x200m freestyle: 1. USA 7:43.39, 2. China 7:44.96, 3. Australia 7:48.51.