{"id":265810,"date":"2017-07-14T05:00:41","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T12:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=265810"},"modified":"2017-07-14T07:49:52","modified_gmt":"2017-07-14T14:49:52","slug":"fina-world-championships-predictions-womens-200-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/fina-world-championships-predictions-womens-200-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"FINA World Championships Predictions: Women’s 200 Fly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mireia Belmonte\u00a0<\/strong>won a historic victory for Spain in the women’s 200 fly at last summer’s Olympic Games, and with her closest competition out of action, she’s heavily favored to add a gold medal at the FINA World Championships.<\/p>\n

She touched out\u00a0Madeline Groves\u00a0<\/strong>by just three hundredths for the top spot in Rio, but Groves and the next two highest-placing finishers, Japan’s\u00a0Natsumi Hoshi<\/strong> and the USA’s\u00a0Cammile Adams<\/strong>, will both be absent from the field this summer in Budapest.<\/p>\n

No one has even swum under 2:06\u00a0yet this year, so it should not take any insanely fast times to get on the podium.<\/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\u00a0200 Fly<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Current Records:<\/h3>\n

World Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Liu Zige, CHN (2009) — 2:01.81
\nChampionship Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Jessicah Schipper, AUS (2009) — 2:03.41
\nAmerican Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Mary Descenza (2009) — 2:04.14<\/p>\n

2015 World Champion:<\/strong>\u00a0Natsumi Hoshi, JPN — 2:05.56
\n2016 Olympic Gold Medalist:<\/strong> Mireia Belmonte, ESP — 2:04.85
\n2017 World No. 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Franziska Hentke, GER — 2:06.18<\/p>\n

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

David Rieder’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong> Mireia Belmonte, ESP
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong> Suzuka Hasegawa, JPN
\nBronze:<\/strong> Franziska Hentke, GER<\/p>\n

John Lohn’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong> Mireia Belmonte, ESP
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Suzuka Hasegawa, JPN
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Emma McKeon, AUS<\/p>\n

Andy Ross’ Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong> Mireia Belmonte, ESP
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong> Franziska Hentke, GER
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Liliana Szilagyi, HUN<\/p>\n

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

Day One:<\/h3>\n