{"id":414706,"date":"2020-02-09T11:59:32","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T18:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=414706"},"modified":"2020-02-09T12:49:53","modified_gmt":"2020-02-09T19:49:53","slug":"kathleen-baker-completes-golden-treble-with-victory-in-50-backstroke-in-nice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/kathleen-baker-completes-golden-treble-with-victory-in-50-backstroke-in-nice\/","title":{"rendered":"Kathleen Baker Completes Golden Treble With Victory In 50 Backstroke In Nice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kathleen Baker<\/strong> rounded out a golden competition with victory in the 50m backstroke in 27.77 at the Nice leg of the\u00a0Camille Muffat Golden Tour<\/strong>\u00a0in France.<\/p>\n

Baker began her meet by winning the 200IM in 2:08.75 ahead of Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu<\/strong> as the Hungarian experienced defeat for only the second time since 2013.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old followed that up on Saturday with 2:07.22 in the 200m backstroke before rounding out the meet with a dominant victory in the one-length race.<\/p>\n

As with her victory over 200m, the American had no serious challengers bar the clock as she touched the wall first 0.77secs ahead of Lila Touili<\/strong> (28.54) and Kendyl Stewart\u00a0<\/strong>(28.65).<\/p>\n

It all hints at a return to the sort of form that has garnered individual Olympic and world medley medals as well as relay titles after she was hampered last year by a rib injury sustained in April.<\/p>\n

Also intriguing is what Baker can produce in the 100m backstroke given she withdrew from the final in Nice after clocking 1:00.03 in the heats.<\/p>\n

There are of course no certainties in sport or life but what can be predicted is that the US trials will be fascinating.<\/p>\n

Awaiting will be Regan Smith<\/strong>, who broke Baker\u2019s 100m world record as well as setting an astonishing 200m mark at last year\u2019s World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, world 100m bronze medallist Olivia Smoliga<\/strong> and Phoebe Bacon<\/strong>, who has been breaking records left, right and centre.<\/p>\n

Baker also finished sixth in the 100m free in 56.27 in a race won by Charlotte Bonnet<\/strong> in her home pool in 54.19, the Frenchwoman ending the meet with two golds and one silver.<\/p>\n

Desplanches Flies To Third Gold<\/h3>\n
\"Jeremy

Jeremy Desplanches celebrates an historic Swiss silver in the 200m medley at the World Championships in Gwangju – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer<\/p><\/div>\n

Jeremy Desplanches<\/strong> came from third at halfway to add the 100m butterfly title to his IM double in 52.84.<\/p>\n

The Swiss was 0.36secs adrift of Mathys Goosen<\/strong> at halfway but a second 50 of 27.78 saw him overhaul Goosen and Yauhen Tsurkin<\/strong> to touch the wall first.<\/p>\n

Tsurkin was second in 52.94 with Goosen third in 53.53.<\/p>\n

Desplanches also claimed third in the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.20 behind Theo Bussiere<\/strong> (1:01.27) and Erik Persson<\/strong> (1:01.33).<\/p>\n

Tatiana Belonogoff\u00a0<\/strong>came from fourth at 50 to win the women’s equivalent in 1:07.92.<\/p>\n

The Russian was 0.07secs adrift of leader Angharad Evans<\/strong> at the turn but a second 50 of 35.44 saw her overhaul the field to touch ahead of Alina Zmushka<\/strong> (1:08.32) and 200 champion Lisa Mamie\u00a0<\/strong>(1:08.70).<\/p>\n

Laura Stephens<\/strong> came from 0.62 down at halfway to overhaul Liliana Szilagyi<\/strong> to win the 200m butterfly in 2:08.94 to the Hungarian’s 2:10.09.<\/p>\n

Apostolos Christou<\/strong> renewed his duel with Yohann Ndoye Brouard<\/strong> in the 200m backstroke with the pair replicating their one-two finishes from the 50 and 100 back.<\/p>\n

The Frenchman was ahead at the first turn but Christou surged ahead to finish in 1:58.72 ahead of Brouard (1:59.86) and Mewen Towas<\/strong> (2:00.13).<\/p>\n

Beril Bocekler<\/strong>, who won 800 and 1500 silver at last year\u2019s European juniors, led from start to finish to win the women\u2019s 400m free in 4:09.60 ahead of Hosszu (4:14.00) and Giorgia Romei<\/strong> (4:15.27).<\/p>\n

Bjoern Seeliger<\/strong>, Michael Chadwick<\/strong> and Maxime Grousset<\/strong> were the top three in the 50 free after they had taken the medals in the 100 on Saturday.<\/p>\n

This time, though, it was Seeliger who took the win in 22.36 with Chadwick again in second in 22.43 with 100m champion Grousset rounding out the podium in 22.52.<\/p>\n

Nils Liess<\/strong> won the 200 free in 1:47.07 ahead of Mehdi Lagili<\/strong> (1:49.04) and\u00a0Ayoub Hafnaoui<\/strong> got his hand to the wall first in a close 800m free in 7:50.31 ahead of Konstantinos Englezakis<\/strong> in 7:51.27.<\/p>\n