World Championships, Day Six Finals: Dong Zhihao Surges Down Final Lap For Gold in 200 Breaststroke

World Championships, Day Six Finals: Dong Zhihao Surges Down Final Lap For Gold in 200 Breaststroke

Just because world-record holder Qin Haiyang opted to bypass the World Championships in Doha doesn’t mean China didn’t have some pop in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke. In the absence of Qin, world junior-record holder Dong Zhihao dialed up a performance of 2:07.94 to beat the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau (2:08.24) and American Nic Fink (2:08.85).

Unsurprisingly, Dong came from off the pace to pick up the first world title of his career. Sitting in sixth place at the 50-meter, 100-meter and 150-meter marks, the Chinese star covered the closing 50 meters in 32.18 to run down the opposition. At last summer’s World Champs in Fukuoka, where Qin set the world record, Dong finished just off the podium with a fourth-place finish.

Heading into the last length in Doha, Dong was at 1:35.76, with Corbeau at 1:34.17. But with each stroke, Dong cut into his deficit and pulled ahead of the Dutch swimmer in the closing strokes. The showing was a major breakthrough for Corbeau, who was a former college star at the University of Texas. Corbeau’s outing handed him his first international podium placement.

The gold medalist in the 100 breaststroke and bronze medalist in the 50 breaststroke, Fink completed a medals sweep of the breaststroke events by cracking the 2:09 barrier. He earned his medal by .46 over countryman Jake Foster, who was a teammate of Corbeau at Texas. Foster touched the wall in 2:09.31.

Come the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the 200 breaststroke will be considerably deeper. In addition to the presence of Qin, Aussie Zac Stubblety-Cook will be in the field, with the potential of Frenchman Leon Marchand seeing action in the event. Marchand will likely have to decide between contesting the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly.

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