Rikke Moller Pedersen Leads 200 Breaststroke Prelims

Photo Courtesy: Pia Ellegaard Mortensen

Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS

Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen posted a 2:22.72 for the top spot in tonight’s women’s 200 breaststroke semifinals. Rie Kaneto of Japan entered with the top time in the world this year. She posted a 2:22.86 in prelims to snag the second seed. Australian Taylor Mckeown led her heat with a 2:23.00 and the third best time of prelims.

Chloe Tutton swam a 2:23.34 this morning for the fourth seed. Her British teammate Molly Renshaw had a very solid prelims swim, finishing .03 behind in 2:23.37.

Kierra Smith of Canada touched sixth this morning in 2:23.69 ahead of Turkey’s Viktoria Zeynep Gunes with a 2:23.83.

Yulia Efimova was a body length behind the field at the 100 meter mark. The 100 silver medalist came back in the second half to earn the eighth seed with her 2:23.90.

Jinglin Shi of China posted a 2:24.33 while Iceland’s Hrafnhildur Luthersdottir touched in 2:24.43. Spain’s Jessica Vall Montero touched in 2:24.55. Molly Hannis of the United States earned the twelfth seed with her 2:24.74.

Kanako Watanabe of Japan went a 2:24.77 for 13th. There was a solid drop off before Jenna Laukkanen representing Finland finished in 2:25.52.

After earning Olympic gold in the 100 breaststroke, Lilly King shot out in front of her heat at the first 50. A stronger swimmer in the 100, King settled for 15th overall in 2:25.89. Russia’s Sofia Andreeva was the last swimmer in with a 2:26.58.

King admitted afterwards that she had not been as successful as she hoped with her strategy of staying on control the first 50.

“[Coach] Ray [Looze] and I talked about not trying so hard the first 50, King said. “It didn’t really feel that hard—it usually doesn’t—but at the end of the race it still feels like I went pretty hard the first 50.”

Full preliminary results can be found here.

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