Videos of World Records and Select Races At World Short Course Championships

FINA World Short Course Championships

DOHA – The first night of finals at the FINA short course world championships featured three world records and a bit of an upset victory in the men’s 200 freestyle to give the meet a grand start.

Mireia Belmonte of Spain was the headliner of tonight’s action, setting two world records a little more than an hour apart in the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley. She overtook Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu in both races after letting Hosszu pace the field under world record speed in the opening three-fourths of each swim.

Click the link below to watch Belmonte use her amazing underwater kicking skills to break the two-minute barrier in the 200 fly with a 1:59.61.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY WORLD RECORD VIDEO , WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN’S 200 FLY RACE RECAP

The 400 individual medley was a rematch between Belmonte and Hosszu, and the race played out identical to the 200 butterfly final. Hosszu took a commanding lead after backstroke, but Belmonte pulled even after breaststroke and sprinted away for world record number two with a 4:19.86.

Click the link below to see Belmonte’s race strategy and how it paid off with another gold medal and world record.

WOMEN’S 400 IM WORLD RECORD VIDEO, WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN’S 400 IM RACE RECAP

In the women’s 800 free relay, the Dutch quartet of Inge Dekker, Femke Heemskerk, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Sharon van Rouwendaal blasted China’s world record to post a 7:32.85 and beat the field by almost five seconds.

Click the link below to watch the amazing foursome in their record-breaking swim.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE RELAY WORLD RECORD VIDEO, WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN’S 800 FREE RELAY RACE RECAP

The men didn’t break any world records, but still had two electrifying championship finals in which the eventual winners pulled off come-from-behind strategies to take the win. In the 200 freestyle, South Africa’s Chad Le Clos overpowered Danila Izotov and Ryan Lochte to take his first world title in the event with a 1:41.45.

Click the link below to see how Le Clos — like Belmonte in the 200 fly — accelerated through the race and employed a strong final 50 meters to earn the gold medal.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE FINAL VIDEO, WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE RACE RECAP

Through 375 meters, it appeared that Russia was going to win the men’s 400 free relay, but a monster anchor leg by Mehdy Metella gave France the victory with a 3:03.78. Russia and the United States completed the podium in a race that also featured a 45.51 leadoff leg from Vladimir Morozov.

Click the link below to watch Russia storm to a big lead in the first two legs of the race, while France chipped away at the lead and got ahead when it mattered.

MEN 400 FREE RELAY FINAL VIDEO, WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEN’S 400 FREE RELAY RACE RECAP

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