RACE VIDEO: Olivia Smoliga Holds Off Katinka Hosszu For 100 Back Gold

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Olivia Smoliga grabbed her second gold medal of the night in the women’s 100 back, narrowly defeating world record holder Katinka Hosszu. Smoliga led the race throughout the entire 100, flipping first in 26.93 to finish first in 56.19. That was more than half a second off of the American record she set in semi-finals (55.47).

Her swim was also just enough to hold off a charging Hosszu, who was just .05 behind in 56.26. In third was Great Britain’s Georgia Davies with a 56.74. Notably, American Kathleen Baker and Australian Emily Seebohm were only fifth and sixth here in 56.89 and 56.98, respectively. Both swimmers have been under 56 seconds in the FINA World Cup this year.

Smoliga also won the gold medal in the 100 back at the 2012 Short Course World Championships when she was 18.

Smoliga (on winning gold): “Just the fact that I was able to race hard next to such strong women in my heat means the world to me. I really wanted to get my hand on the wall first, go as hard as I could and I’m really glad it turned out the way that it did.”

Coached by Brisbane Grammar’s David Lush, Atherton said: “I am super excited that I got to give it a crack in the final and came away with the bronze.

“I just wanted to go out there and have some fun and give it my best shot and see what happened,” she said.

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Thomas A. Small

5 years ago

Congratulations

Lisa Cameron

5 years ago

Congratulations!!