Evgeny Rylov Holds Off Ryan Murphy For 200 Back Gold; Pebley Bronze

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Evgeny Rylov Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA

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Russia’s Evgeny Rylov took the 200 back race out hard on Friday night at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest and held on for his first individual gold medal at a major international meet. Rylov held off the reigning Olympic champion in Ryan Murphy of the United States.

Rylov was under Aaron Peirsol’s WR pace at 100 meters but eventually fell off the pace. Rylov won the gold with a 1:53.61 to set a new European record. Murphy won the silver with a 1:54.21 ahead of fellow American Jacob Pebley in bronze at 1:55.06.

Rylov was the 2014 Youth Olympic champion so he has had a lot of hype around him the last few years and he is showing that potential here in Budapest as this is his first gold medal at a senior meet.

Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov (1:55.14) broke a new World Junior record that he held from the semi-finals at 1:55.15. China’s Xu Jiayu (1:55.26), Hungary’s Peter Bernek (1:55.58), Japan’s Ryosuke Irie (1:56.35) and Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys (1:56.96) also competed in the championship final.

This is Russia’s second overall gold medal in the men’s 200 backstroke at the Worlds as Rylov joins Vladimir Selkov (1994) as the only Russian gold medalists in this event. Rylov was bronze at the 2016 Olympics and the 2015 Worlds in this event.

Murphy interview:

Pebley interview:

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