Sun Yang of China reacts after winning the men's 800m freestyle final at the Aquatics World Championships in Kazan, Russia, Aug 5, 2015. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu)
China' s swimming star Sun Yang showed his dominance in the long distance freestyle by winning the 800m freestyle for the third time at the world championships on Wednesday.
Sun, 23, winner of the event at the 2011 and 2013 worlds, surpassed Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri after the 700m mark and led the last 100m to win the gold in seven minutes 39.96 seconds. Paltrinieri came second in 7:40.81, which is an European record. The bronze went to Mack Horton of Australia, who finished in 7:44.02.
"I know it would be a tough match," said Sun, who won the 400m free title last Sunday and took a silver in the 200m on Tuesday. "I expected to win before the match and I did it. I know that the following race will be very difficult, and I will try my best."
"I am very tired as it is the fourth competition day in swimming and I had races every day," he added. "I can have a rest in the following two days."
China' s rising star Ning Zetao reached the men' s 100m freestyle final with a second finish in the semis, though the time was 0.02 second slower than his 48.11 in the heats. Ning is the first Chinese to reach the 100m free final at world championships.
"It' s a lucky day for me," said Ning. "The venue is a little cold which affected me a little."
Team Britain registered a new world record on Wednesday as they won the mixed 4x100m medley relay in 3:41.71. The United States came second in 3:43.27 while Germany took a bronze in 3:44.13. China was fourth in 3:44.65.
Britain' s Adam Peaty proved his strength in the men' s 50m breaststroke again as the 19-year-old stormed to win the event in 26.51. He renewed the world record of the 50m breast to 26.42 on Tuesday, and the previous record was created by South African Cameron Van Der Burgh on Tuesday' s heats. Van Der Burgh had to accept a silver in 26.66. Kevin Cordes of the United States came third in 26.86.
The United States got some comfort from Katie Ledecky's women's 200m title. Ledecky, who broke the 1500m world record twice at the Kazan worlds, beat London Olympic champion and world record holder Federica Pellegrini of Italy to win the women' s 200m freestyle in 1:55.16, while Pellegrini settled for silver in 1:55.32. Missy Franklin came third in 1:55.49. China' s Shen Duo was sixth in 1:56.27.
Hungary also won a gold on Wednesday as Laszlo Cseh dominated the mens' 200m butterfly with 1:53.48, trailed by South African Olympic champion Chad Le Clos, who finished in 1:53.68. The bronze went to Jan Switkowski of Poland with the time of 1:54.10.
Also on Wednesday, China' s backstroke specialists Fu Yuanhui and Liu Xiang made the women' s 50m back final with top and fourth finishes respectively. Without butterfly veterans Jiao Liuyang and Liu Zige, China took two final seats in women' s 200m fly by Zhang Yufei and Zhou Yilin, who finished fourth and eighth respectively in the semifinals.
