![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/adams-mclaughlin-pan-pacs-2014-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr<\/p><\/div>\n
Following that individual final, McLaughlin had no time to think about her performance, as she was about to be thrown in the fire for the 800 free relay. McLaughlin had clocked 1:57.55 earlier this summer at a meet in Mission Viejo, but she did not directly qualify for this relay, and the coaches had entrusted her to perform in the final with Franklin, Ledecky, and Leah Smith<\/b>. And in that relay, McLaughlin swam a race that ranks as the best and most important of her career so far.<\/p>\n
After Smith swam the second leg of the relay, the Americans were in second place, eight tenths of a second behind Sweden. But Michelle Coleman<\/b> quickly opened up a two second cushion on McLaughlin. The Americans still had Ledecky on the end, but they did not want to leave her a big deficit to make up. McLaughlin did not panic; she made up more than a second on Coleman on the last 50, and with her split of 1:56.92, she left Ledecky a deficit of less than four tenths of a second to overcome.<\/p>\n
Ledecky ended up making quick work of Ida Marko-Varga<\/b> to wrap up the gold for the Americans as Sweden faded to fourth. If McLaughlin had ended up finishing two-plus seconds back of Sweden, that’s a potentially-overwhelming gap for even Ledecky to erase. Instead, McLaughlin broke Sweden’s will with her late surge, and that allowed Ledecky to cruise on home<\/a>.<\/p>\n Katie McLaughlin<\/a> came into the World Championships as the second American entrant in the 200 fly. She will leave as a key cog in the women’s National team, and even though the 200 fly has wrapped up, McLaughlin has more business to attend to in Kazan. She will most likely swim the crucial butterfly leg on the women’s medley relay on Sunday, where she will be favored to earn a third medal. Expect more big things from McLaughlin in the upcoming Olympic year.<\/p>\n *How did Sweden get such a big lead in the 800 free relay in the first place? The short answer: Sarah Sjostrom<\/b>. The 21 year old from Sweden who now has three world titles in the 100 fly impressed more than any other individual today without earning a single medal. She picked up the top seed<\/a> in the 100 free ahead of Australian sisters Cate<\/b> and Bronte Campbell<\/b> and the Dutch duo of Femke Heemskerk<\/b> and Ranomi Kromowidjojo<\/b>.<\/p>\n Photo Courtesy: R-Sport \/ MIA Rossiya Segodnya<\/p><\/div>\n And then on the relay, Sjostrom led off in 1:54.31, the top time in the world this year and almost a second faster than Ledecky swam in winning the individual 200 on Wednesday. Sjostrom looks like she could win the 100 free on Friday \u2212 something few would have picked before the meet began \u2212 and then she will be favored in the 50 fly on Saturday. The 50 free could be a medal opportunity as well. If she chooses to swim all of the events, Sjostrom could be a threat for four individual gold medals next summer in Rio.<\/p>\n *The women’s 200 breast has rapidly improved in Kazan, where it took under 2:23 to qualify for the final without going to a swim-off. In comparison, anyone who swam under 2:25 made it back to the final just two years ago in Barcelona. World record-holder Rikke Moller Pedersen<\/b> and American Micah Lawrence<\/b> hold the top two seeds<\/a> \u2212 and they finished second and third, respectively, in 2013 \u2212 but don’t sleep on Kanako Watanabe<\/b>, whose country broke a streak of swimming futility on day five.<\/p>\n Natsumi Hoshi wins Japan’s first World Championships GOLD medal by a woman. They had won 24 total SILVER\/BRONZE before this. That’s absurd.<\/p>\n \u2014 Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) August 6, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Natsumi Hoshi<\/b> ended Japan’s gold medal drought as she charged to a world title<\/a> with a blazing last 50 in the 200 fly. Watanabe had already won one of those previous 24 minor medals this meet with her silver in the 200 IM, and she also fell one one-hundredth short of the podium in the 100 breast. After winning the second semi-final this evening, Watanabe will be gunning for gold in Friday’s final.<\/p>\nQuick Hits<\/h2>\n
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