 GWANGJU, South Korea – Indiana University postgraduate swimmer Lilly King put an exclamation point on a tremendous 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea on Sunday morning.
In the final of the women’s 50m breaststroke, King successfully defended her title in the event, winning gold with a time of 29.84. The Evansville, Ind. native is just the second woman to repeat as world champion in the event. Earlier in the week, King also defended her crown in the women’s 100m breaststroke.
Later Sunday morning, King won another gold medal as part of Team USA’s women’s 4×100 medley relay. King split a 1:04.81 in her breaststroke leg to help the U.S. win gold with a world record time of 3:50.40.
With her three world titles this week, King now has seven for her career. She also won a pair of gold medals for Team USA at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
IU postgrad Zach Apple collected his fourth medal on Sunday when the U.S. men’s 4x100m medley relay took second in the final. Apple earned his silver medal by swimming the freestyle leg (47.59) in the prelims, helping Team USA qualify second overall for the final with a mark of 3:32.50.
Indiana University swimmers and divers had a terrific showing at the 2019 FINA World Championships, winning a total of 12 medals. Current and postgrad IU swimmers and divers won seven gold medals, two silver and three bronze.
Also in the men’s 4x100m medley relay, Indiana postgrad Vini Lanza and Team Brazil placed sixth overall with a time of 3:30.86. Lanza split a 51.29 butterfly leg in the final.
In the men’s 4x100m medley relay prelims on Saturday night, rising IU junior Bruno Blaskovic and Team Croatia placed 19th overall with a time of 3:37.18. Blaskovic anchored for the team and posted a 48.72 freestyle leg.
Also, rising IU senior Mohamed Samy and Team Egypt placed 24th overall with a mark of 3:39.03. Leading off, Samy split a 55.23 backstroke leg.
