World Championships, Day 4 Finals: Siobhan Haughey Dominates 200 Free For First World L/C Title
Siobhan Haughey claimed her first world long-course title with a dominant victory in the 200m freestyle in Doha.
The 26-year-old finished in 1:54.89 ahead of Erika Fairweather (1:55.77) and the fast-finishing Brianna Throssell (1:56.00) to make her second trip to the podium this week after she won a surprise bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Haughey, who won silver in the 100 free at the Fukuoka World Championships, was inside the world record throughout, turning 0.29 inside at the 150, before the red line got away from her.
Splits: 26.40/55.12 (28.72)/1:24.45 (29.33)/1:54.89 (30.44)
from left: Brianna Throssell, Siobhan Huaghey & Erika Fairweather: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
It has been some few months for Haughey who became the first Hong Kong athlete to win swimming gold at the Asian Games, when she took the 200 free in September last year.
She added the 100 free title before leaving Hangzhou with six medals to become the most decorated Hong Kong athlete at a single Games.
Days later, she went 52.02 for an Asian record in the 100 free at the Berlin stop of the World Cup tour.
It was a second medal for Fairweather who became the first New Zealand swimmer to win a world title when she took the 400 free on the opening night.
Not even the great Danyon Loader, winner the 200/400 free double at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, had claimed world gold with silver in the 200 fly at Rome 1994 the closest he came.
Lauren Boyle won silver in the 800 and 1500 free at Kazan 2015, finishing second behind the ubiquitous Katie Ledecky as the American set world records in both.
Now Fairweather has gold and silver with the 800 to come.
Brossell claimed her first individual medal on the world stage, coming from fifth at 150 with the fastest final split of the entire field of 29.73, as her Australian teammate Shayna Jack – who was in the medal positions throughout – faded to seventh.
Li Bingjie, who qualified joint seventh, withdrew to be replaced by teammate Ai Yanhan.
Barbora Seemanova (1:56.13), Maria Fernanda de Oliveira da Silva Costa (1:56.85), Nikolett Padar (1:56.89), Shayna Jack (1:57.24) & Ai Yanhan (1:57.53).
