BUDAPEST, Hungary – Indiana University put an exclamation point on a tremendous week at the 2017 FINA Swimming World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.
Lilly King won a pair of gold medals in world record fashion, while IU alum Cody Miller added a third gold medal on the day. Over the course of the week at the World Championships, Hoosiers swimmers – current, alumni and postgrad – combined to win seven gold and two bronze medals. The IU swimmers also combined to set five world records.
King started the final day of the World Championships on a high note, winning gold in the women’s 50 breaststroke with a world record time of 29.40, marking the first time since Jessica Hardy went 29.80 in 2009 that an American has the world record in the event.
King’s time broke Ruta Meilutyte’s previous record of 29.48 set in 2013. The victory for King is also the first gold for an American in the 50 breast since Hardy won in 2011.
Just over an hour later, King finished off her record-breaking week, helping Team USA win gold in the 4×100 women’s medley relay with a world record time of 3:51.55. In her breaststroke, leg, King touched the wall with a split of 1:04.48.
On the week, King won two individual world titles (50 and 100 breast) and two relay world titles with Team USA (women’s 4×100 medley, mixed 4×100 medley) – all with world record times. Earlier this week, King became the first Hoosier to set a world record in an individual event since Jim Montgomery in the 100 freestyle at the 1976 Olympic Games.
With Team USA’s victory in the men’s 4×100 medley relay, IU alum Cody Miller earned a gold medal after swimming for the Americans in the morning prelims. Miller posted a time of 58.99 in his breaststroke leg, helping Team USA earn the No. 1 seed for the championship final with a time of 3:29.66.
Also in the 4×100 men’s medley relay, Indiana’s Mohamed Samy anchored for Team Egypt with a freestyle leg of 49.34 to help the team place 18th overall with an Egyptian National record of 3:40.85.
It was quite the week for IU’s trio of swimmer for Team Egypt – Samy, alum Marwan Elkamash and Ali Khalafalla. Combined the trio was a part of six Egyptian national records. Elkamash set individual records in the 200 free (1:47.40) and 400 free (3:46.36), while Samy set an Egyptian record in the 100 free (49.42). Khalafalla and Samy were on the 4×100 free relay (3:18.23), while Elkamash and Samy were on the 4×200 free relay (7:16.95).
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Women’s 50 Breaststroke
- Lilly King – 29.40 (World record)
Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay
- Lilly King (Team USA) – 3:51.55 (World record; King breaststroke leg of 1:04.48)
Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay
- Team USA – 3:27.91
Cody Miller breaststroke leg of 58.99 in prelims - Team Egypt – 3:40.85 (Egyptian National record)
Mohamed Samy freestyle leg 49.34
