BUDAPEST, (Reuters) – 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 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 4×200 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.
The 23-year-old produced a Phelps-like roar of celebration and double-arm splash to celebrate his gold medal.
Japanese Kosuke Hagino, the 2013 silver medallist, had cut loose on the backstroke before Kalisz took control on a swift breaststroke leg and freestyle finale.
There was a similar outcome in the 100m freestyle when Dressel took off his goggles.
Dressel, 20, dominated the blue riband event from start to finish, clocking a highly impressive 47.17 seconds. Nathan Adrian secured an American one-two and Mehdy Metella of France took bronze.
China’s bid to win a hat-trick of world titles in the women’s 50m backstroke was scuppered by a jubilant Etiene Medeiros of Brazil.
Medeiros posted a time of 27.14 seconds as she held off defending champion Fu Yuanhui of China by 0.01 seconds in a fingertip finish. Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus secured bronze.
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. Franziska Hentke took silver with Hosszu landing bronze.
Katie Ledecky then put the disappointment of losing an individual final for the first time at a world championships behind her by anchoring the U.S to 4x200m relay gold.
Leah Smith, Mallory Comerford and Melanie Margalis had gone stroke for stroke with China before Ledecky powered away on the final leg. Their time of seven minutes 43.39 seconds was just outside the world record.
