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In order to get into the final of the 200 IM at the FINA world championships, Maya DiRado of the United States needed a best time, and it meant another dip under the magical 2:10 barrier. Swimming in the semifinal heat with Katinka Hosszu, who set a European record two lanes over, was a major boost.
“I knew she was ahead and I could see her on breaststroke, but that was a good thing,” DiRado said. “it was encouraging, actually.”
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Her 2:09.82 was a lifetime best by a tenth of a second, and made her excited that she was able to swim that fast. The field will be tight in the race for medals, but DiRado is putting faith in her tendency to get faster with each swim as the meet progresses. “Getting more races in really helps me,” she said.
