Guy eclipses Oly champs, including Chinese Sun, to win 200m freestyle gold

Kazan (Russia), August 4

Britain's James Guy held off a host of Olympic champions to win his first world title, the men's 200m freestyle, at the World Swimming Championships on Tuesday.

After claiming silver in the 400m freestyle behind China's Sun Yang, Guy came from third at the final turn to touch the wall in one minute 45.14 seconds. He beat Sun and Paul Biedermann of Germany into silver and bronze respectively. Ryan Lochte, of United States, was fourth.

The stirring finish from the 19-year-old dented Sun's bid for four world titles. As expected, Katie Ledecky of the United States won her second world title in three days, coasting to victory in the women's 1500m freestyle and lowering her world record in the process.

The 18-year-old high school graduate raced away from the field in the opening salvos, recording 15:25.48 to lower the mark she set on Monday by 2.23 seconds.

Thirty minutes later, Ledecky was back on the starting blocks for her women's 200m freestyle semi-final, summoning all her strength to qualify sixth fastest. The American, chasing four individual world titles, will face a tough final after Italy's Federica Pellegrini and Missy Franklin, of the United States, took the first two final berths.

In the final event of a pulsating session, favourite Yuliya Efimova delighted the home crowd by taking gold in the women's 100m breaststroke.

The Russian, competing in her first major competition since her doping ban ended in February, posted 1:05.66, with Lithuanian rival Ruta Meilutyte claiming silver.

Guy's compatriot, Adam Peaty, earlier set a world record for the men's 50 metres breaststroke as he continued his Kazan rivalry with South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh. Conor Jaeger of the United States qualified fastest for Wednesday's men's 800m final, with seven minutes 44.77 seconds. Defending champion Sun recorded the sixth-fastest time, 3.10 seconds down on the American.

Sejwal, Sajan falter

Sandeep Sejwal and Sajan Prakash failed to qualify for the semifinals of their respective categories. Sejwal disappointed in the men’s 50 metres breaststroke, and Sajan had a similar result in men’s 200m butterfly. Sejwal finished 40th out of 81. The 26-year-old clocked 28.57 seconds to complete the 50 metres. Later, part of Heat 1 out of 4, Sajan finished an overall 31st out of 40 participants in 200m butterfly in two minutes and 1.63 seconds. — Agencies