{"id":265580,"date":"2017-07-11T15:00:59","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T22:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=265580"},"modified":"2017-07-11T12:34:46","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T19:34:46","slug":"fina-world-championships-predictions-womens-200-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/fina-world-championships-predictions-womens-200-free\/","title":{"rendered":"FINA World Championships Predictions: Women’s 200 Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

The women’s 200 free final at last year’s Olympics was a clash between two women who had already won a gold medal in Rio and had already broken a world record. But at this year’s FINA World Championships, only one of them is back.<\/p>\n

Katie Ledecky\u00a0<\/strong>will swim the 200 free, and she enters as the clear favorite.\u00a0Sarah Sjostrom<\/strong>, headed to Budapest as the clear favorite in four other events, will not. Sjostrom has zeroed in on the sprints under new coach\u00a0Johan Wallberg<\/strong>, leaving Ledecky as the clear favorite in the 200 free.<\/p>\n

It’s the shortest of the events in which she won Olympic gold in Rio or a World title in Kazan two years ago, but she has been pretty good at it, ranking No. 3 all-time in the event and comfortably first in the world this year at 1:54.84.<\/p>\n

Read below to see what\u00a0Swimming World’s\u00a0<\/em>trio of experts think will happen in\u00a0Budapest.\u00a0David Rieder<\/strong>,\u00a0John Lohn<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Andy Ross<\/strong>\u00a0will each offer their predictions for\u00a0who will finish on the podium.<\/p>\n

Women’s 200\u00a0Free<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Current Records:<\/h3>\n

World Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Federica Pellegrini, ITA (2009) — 1:52.98
\nChampionship Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Federica Pellegrini, ITA (2009) — 1:52.98
\nAmerican Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Allison Schmitt (2012) — 1:52.61<\/p>\n

2015 World Champion:<\/strong>\u00a0Katie Ledecky, USA — 1:55.16
\n2016 Olympic Gold Medalist:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA — 1:53.73
\n2017 World No. 1:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA — 1:54.84<\/p>\n

Swimming World Predictions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

David Rieder’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Federica Pellegrini, ITA
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Michelle Coleman, SWE<\/p>\n

John Lohn’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Federica Pellegrini, ITA
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Emma McKeon, AUS<\/p>\n

Andy Ross’ Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold<\/strong>:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA
\nSilver:<\/strong>\u00a0Emma McKeon, AUS
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Charlotte Bonnet, FRA<\/p>\n

Previous\u00a0Events<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Day One:<\/h3>\n