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July 21, 2017

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Horton, Sun set to resume rivalry

AUSTRALIA’S Mack Horton and China’s Sun Yang will resume their bad-tempered rivalry in the pool when the swimming section of the FINA world aquatic championships starts on Sunday.

Horton ended Sun’s four-year domination of the 400-meter freestyle event in spectacular style at last year’s Rio De Janeiro Olympics after branding Sun a ‘drug cheat’ in the build-up.

Sparks are expected to further fly with both also registered to swim over 200, 800 and 1,500 freestyle in Budapest.

“Mack is looking forward to it,” Swimming Australia chief executive Mark Anderson said ahead of Sunday’s opening 400 showdown.

“He’s in good form. Not only in the 400 but the 1,500. There will be great entertainment in both of those races and the swimming world will be watching with interest,” added Anderson with a large dose of understatement.

The 800 freestyle will be an especially intriguing battle with Italy’s long-distance expert Gregorio Paltrinieri also in the mix.

Horton and Sun will be battling to be the fastest from Sunday morning’s 400 heats into the evening’s final and their grudge ‘War in the Water’ rematch will take star billing at Budapest’s Duna Arena.

Hungary’s ‘Iron Lady’ Katinka Hosszu will be out to maintain her grip on the 200 and 400 individual medley events she has dominated in recent years.

Hosszu has entered six individual events, including the 100 backstroke — one of three events in which she won Olympic gold last year — in a punishing schedule, but her priority will be defending her 200 and 400 medley crowns.

Expect fireworks over the longer distance after Hosszu took two seconds off the world record over 400 when she struck Olympic gold in Rio last year.

“By (the time of the worlds) I will know each and every little stone of the Duna Arena,” she said. “This pool is so beautiful, that it also puts a little pressure on us Hungarians though. It’s up to us, now we all have to swim fast.”

China, third in the medals table in swimming events in 2015 in Kazan, will also look to backstroker Fu Yuanhui to defend her 50 title.

A hilarious video went viral of Fu’s reaction after discovering she had won joint bronze over 100 at the Rio Olympics and the 21-year-old will be hoping for more goofy smiles in Budapest.

The US, a powerhouse in the pool, will bring a young team — with an average age of 22 — shorn of stars Michael Phelps, who has retired again, and Missy Franklin, who sits out Budapest after surgery on both shoulders last year.

Teenagers Regan Smith, 15, and 17-year-olds Robert Finke and Dakota Luther will race in the backstroke, freestyle and butterfly respectively.

Katie Ledecky, the Stars and Stripes’ gold-medal and record-breaking machine, will be the star attraction in Sunday’s 400 freestyle women’s heats and finals. Expect Ledecky to challenge her own 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle world records in Budapest.




 

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