{"id":265719,"date":"2017-07-13T05:00:14","date_gmt":"2017-07-13T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=265719"},"modified":"2017-07-13T11:02:11","modified_gmt":"2017-07-13T18:02:11","slug":"fina-world-championships-predictions-mens-200-im","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/fina-world-championships-predictions-mens-200-im\/","title":{"rendered":"FINA World Championships Predictions: Men’s 200 IM"},"content":{"rendered":"

How long has it been since anybody besides\u00a0Michael Phelps\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Ryan Lochte\u00a0<\/strong>won gold at an Olympics or FINA World Championships in the men’s 200 IM? Well, Phelps has won four straight Olympic golds, Lochte has captured four straight World titles, and Phelps won the three World titles before that.<\/p>\n

So it’s been since the 2001 World Championships that another man won a major international title in the 200 IM. But that duo’s streak will come to an end in Budapest with neither in attendance. And the man most likely to take over is the man who succeeded Phelps and Lochte as Olympic gold medalist in the 400 IM,\u00a0Kosuke Hagino<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Hagino was the silver medalist behind Phelps in the 200 IM in Rio and also took second behind Lochte at the World Champs in 2013 before missing the 2015 Worlds with an elbow injury. His main challenges should come from World No. 1-ranked swimmer\u00a0Philip Heintz<\/strong>, 200 IM Olympic bronze medalist\u00a0Wang Shun<\/strong> and 400 IM Olympic silver medalist\u00a0Chase Kalisz<\/strong>.<\/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

Men’s 200\u00a0IM<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Current Records:<\/h3>\n

World Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Ryan Lochte, USA (2011) — 1:54.00
\nChampionship Record:<\/strong> Ryan Lochte, USA (2011) — 1:54.00
\nAmerican Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Ryan Lochte (2011) — 1:54.00<\/p>\n

2015 World Champion:<\/strong> Ryan Lochte, USA\u00a0— 1:55.81
\n2016 Olympic Gold Medalist:<\/strong>\u00a0Michael Phelps, USA — 1:54.66
\n2017 World No. 1:<\/strong> Philip Heintz, GER — 1:55.76<\/p>\n

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

David Rieder’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong>\u00a0Kosuke Hagino, JPN
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Wang Shun, CHN
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Chase Kalisz, USA<\/p>\n

John Lohn’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong>\u00a0Kosuke Hagino, JPN
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Chase Kalisz, USA
\nBronze:<\/strong> Wang Shun, CHN<\/p>\n

Andy Ross’ Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong>\u00a0Kosuke Hagino, JPN
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Wang Shun, CHN
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Chase Kalisz, USA<\/p>\n

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

Day One:<\/h3>\n