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Dressel seals record-breaking championships

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GWANGJU, South Korea: Caeleb Dressel became the all-time record holder for the most medals won at a single swimming world championships, while the US women’s 4x100-metre medley relay team set two world records on Sunday as the meet wrapped up.


The women’s team consisted of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Kelsi Dahlia and Simone Manuel.


They dominated from start to finish as they shattered their own previous world record by over a second to win in 3 minutes, 50.40 seconds.


On Smith’s backstroke leg, the 17-year-old lowered the 100-metrebackstroke world record to a new best of 57.57 seconds.


“To start it off with a world record from Regan, I think that pumped us all up,” said Manuel. “We really wanted to finish off the meet on a good note.”


Dressel, 22, won six golds and two silvers as Britain’s Duncan Scott snatched victory from the US with a European record time of 3 minutes 28.10 seconds in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.


Dressel’s second silver took his total tally to a record-breaking eight medals, which overtakes the previous best of seven shared by Mark Spitz (1972), Michael Phelps (2007) and Dressel with seven golds in 2017.


“I don’t think there ought to be an instance where I get six golds and two silvers and be upset,” Dressel said after he was presented with the best male swimmer award.


“Part of me is very happy; part of me wants to cry that I’m done with it. This is a lot of stress.”


In the relay, Dressel pulled the US team in front after he gave them a full-second lead on the final turn ahead of Russia.


However, Briton Scott powered through to record the fastest 100-metresplit of 46.14 seconds to steal gold from American Nathan Adrian, who finished for the US in 3:28.45 with Russia in third.


“I can’t say I knew I had that split in me,” Scott said of his winning time. “I’m sort of speechless. The boys put me in an incredible position. I just had to try and execute the race plan.”


King and Manuel completed individual sprint doubles in their respective events with King triumphing in the 50-metre breaststroke and Manuel topping the podium in the 50-metre freestyle.


The 22-year-old King added the 50-metre title to her 100-metretriumph by winning in 29.84 seconds ahead of Italian14-year-old Benedetta Pilato and six-time world champion Yuliya Efimova of Russia.


Manuel beat world record holder Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden to the wall in 24.05 seconds to win freestyle gold ahead of Sjostrom’s 24.07.


German Florian Wellbrock earned an open-water and pool double after he won the men’s 1500-metre freestyle in 14 minutes, 36.54 seconds.


The 21-year-old won gold in the 10,000 metres open water swim earlier this week.


“To win two gold medals is unbelievable,” he said. “I think I need a night or so for it to fully sink in.”


In the women’s 400-metre individual medley, Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu became a nine-time world champion and the first woman to win five gold in a single event.


The 30-year-old stormed home in 4:30.39 seconds ahead of China’s Ye Shiwen in 4:32.07 and Japanese Yui Ohashi third in 4:32.33.


“I wanted to celebrate, but I just couldn’t move. It was very painful,” said Hosszu.


In the men’s 400-metre individual medley, Japan’s Daiya Seto became the first man to win three world championship gold in the event with a time of 4:08.95 to add to his 200m medley triumph.


Earlier, South African Zane Waddell claimed a surprise win as he touched home first in 24.43 seconds for gold in the men’s 50-metrebackstroke.


The Russian favourite and world record holder Kliment Kolesnikov finished third with 24.51 after a slow start as his compatriot Evgeny Rylov snatched a silver in 24.49.


“My first medal in my first 50m world championship but I’m very sad and a little angry because of my start,” said the 19-year-oldKolesnikov, who won six gold medals at the 2018 Youth Olympics.


“I understood at the time that I just need to rush. It’s third place. It’s not bad, but I could be first. And I understand that.” — dpa


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