Boglarka Kapas Runs Down Hali Flickinger For 200 Fly World Title (RACE VIDEO)

Boglarka Kapas ran down Hali Flickinger to win the 200 fly Photo Courtesy: PATRICK B. KRAEMER

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FINA World Swimming Championships (Boglarka Kapas)

Gwangju 2019

Day Five Finals (Women’s 200 Fly)

It was a race that looked to be Hali Flickinger’s to lose. The American had come in as the favorite and had the world’s fastest time. She looked to be unstoppable this year after totally reshaping her body and becoming a new, confident swimmer. But it was Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas who ruled the day on Thursday night at the 2019 FINA World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea in the 200 butterfly.

Kapas won the gold medal at 2:06.78 ahead of Flickinger (2:06.95) and USA’s Katie Drabot (2:07.04). Drabot and Flickinger were in first and second and were looking for a 1-2 punch for the Americans as they have not won this event at the World Championships since 1991 when Summer Sanders won gold. The US last won a silver medal from Camille Adams in 2015.

“To be honest everything happened as I planned because I knew I had to be as close as possible at the 100 to the American girl,” Kapas said. “I felt after the third 50 I was in a good position and I feel like my last 50 is the best in the final. I believed I could do it and I think I have won because I wanted it the most.”

Kapas, who was in eighth place at the 100 and fourth at the 150, swam a killer back half to win her first gold medal and also helped Hungary sweep the 200 fly world titles. It is the first time a country has swept the 200 fly at the World Championships since Poland did so in 2005.

“I think his performance was amazing,” Kapas said of Milak. “I think the whole world was shocked after he won and swam the world record. It was amazing and I felt like okay Hungarians are good in the butterfly. I am very happy to have won because there are two winners for Hungary in the 200m butterfly.”

Kapas split a 31.13 on the third 50, which was a second and a half faster than any swimmer in the field. She built her career as a distance freestyler, winning two gold medals at the 2010 Youth Olympics in the 400 free and 200 fly. But recently Kapas has stated she felt more like a 200 butterflyer than a distance freestyler, which is saying something considering she won the bronze medal in the 800 free and was fourth in the 400 at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

This is Hungary’s first gold medal in the 200 fly at the World Championships and their fifth medal overall. Eva Risztov was second in 2003 while Katinka Hosszu won the bronze in 2009, 2013 and 2017. It is also Hungary’s third gold medal of the Championships as Kapas joined Milak and Hosszu as gold medalists this week.

The silver medal for Flickinger is her first individual medal at the Worlds and Olympics in her career. She was ninth in Budapest and seventh in Rio. However, she was quicker this year in the semifinals, going a 2:06.25. This wasn’t a particular fast final, with the winning time not even getting on the podium two years ago in Budapest. As for if she could repeat next year in Tokyo, Kapas said, “I keep the hard work up and I knew that I could finish stronger in the second 50 because I feel very strong.”

“I knew that I could do under 2:06, I am sure abut this because I know that I am faster than this,” she said.

The race really tightened up on the final 50 with Germany’s Franziska Hentke (2:07.30), Great Britain’s Alys Thomas (2:07.48) and Hungary’s Liliana Szilagyi (2:07.68) all vying for the medals. Hentke won the silver medal in Budapest while Thomas had the fastest time last year. Alas, they were left off the medal dais.

Russia’s Svetlana Chimrova (2:08.70) and Great Britain’s Laura Stephens (2:09.35) also swam in the final.

1	KAPAS	Boglarka	HUN	2:06.78
2	FLICKINGER	Hali	USA	2:06.95
3	DRABOT	Katie	USA	2:07.04
4	HENTKE	Franziska	GER	2:07.30
5	THOMAS	Alys	GBR	2:07.48
6	SZILAGYI	Liliana	HUN	2:07.68
7	CHIMROVA	Svetlana	RUS	2:08.70
8	STEPHENS	Laura	GBR	2:09.35

Top 10 Performers:

2:01.81, Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
2:03.41, Jessicah Schipper, AUS (2009)
2:04.06, Jiao Liuyang, CHN (2012)
2:04.14, Mary Descenza, USA (2009)
2:04.27, Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2009)
2:04.69, Natsumi Hoshi, JPN (2012)
2:04.78, Mireia Belmonte, ESP (2013)
2:04.83, Ellen Gandy, GBR (2009)
2:04.88, Madeline Groves, AUS (2016)
2:05.09, Aurore Mongel, FRA (2009)

Top 10 Performances:

2:01.81, Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
2:03.41, Jessicah Schipper, AUS (2009)
2:03.90, Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
2:04.06, Jiao Liuyang, CHN (2012)
2:04.14, Mary Descenza, USA (2009)
2:04.18, Liu Zige, CHN (2008)
2:04.27, Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2009)
2:04.28, Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2009)
2:04.33, Mary Descenza, USA (2009)
2:04.40, Liu Zige, CHN (2011)

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Lajos Madár

4 years ago

❤??????‍♀️?? cute girl with smart swimming

Marcsi Nagyné

4 years ago

Gratulálok Boglárka ! Szuper vagy ! ??❤️

Nóra Baroque

4 years ago

❤️???????❤️