{"id":266014,"date":"2017-07-16T11:00:20","date_gmt":"2017-07-16T18:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=266014"},"modified":"2017-07-16T15:59:19","modified_gmt":"2017-07-16T22:59:19","slug":"fina-world-championships-predictions-mens-200-breast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/fina-world-championships-predictions-mens-200-breast\/","title":{"rendered":"FINA World Championships Predictions: Men’s 200 Breast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ippei Watanabe\u00a0<\/strong>became the first man to break 2:07 in the men’s 200 breast earlier this year, but recent history says that this event could be unpredictable at the upcoming FINA World Championships.<\/p>\n

Watanabe, remember, was similarly positioned to make a run at Olympic gold last summer. In the 200 breast semi-finals, he swam a time of 2:07.22, then the third-fastest mark in history, for a new Olympic record and the top seed.<\/p>\n

One day later, Watanabe swam more than a half-second slower and finished sixth while the man in lane eight, Kazakhstan’s\u00a0Dmitriy Balandin<\/strong>, stunned the world and won gold.<\/p>\n

Balandin will return to swim the event in Budapest, as will Olympic bronze medalist\u00a0Anton Chupkov<\/strong>, but not the silver medalist.\u00a0Josh Prenot\u00a0<\/strong>finished third in the event at U.S. Nationals last month, locking the third-fastest performer out of the event at World Champs.<\/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 Breast<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Current Records:<\/h3>\n

World Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Ippei Watanabe, JPN (2017) — 2:06.67
\nChampionship Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Daniel Gyurta, HUN (2013) — 2:07.23
\nAmerican Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Josh Prenot (2016) — 2:07.17<\/p>\n

2015 World Champion:<\/strong>\u00a0Marco Koch, GER — 2:07.76
\n2016 Olympic Gold Medalist:<\/strong>\u00a0Dmitriy Balandin, KAZ — 2:07.46
\n2017 World No. 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Ippei Watanabe, JPN — 2:06.67<\/p>\n

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

David Rieder’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong>\u00a0Ippei Watanabe, JPN
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Anton Chupkov, RUS
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Kevin Cordes, USA<\/p>\n

John Lohn’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong> Anton Chupkov, RUS
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong> Ippei Watanabe, JPN
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Dmitriy Balandin, KAZ<\/p>\n

Andy Ross’ Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong> Ippei Watanabe, JPN
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Kevin Cordes, USA
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN<\/p>\n

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

Day One:<\/h3>\n