SWIMMING: Victorian Belinda Hocking has won Australia’s 10th medal in the pool at the 2013 FINA World Championships in a determined and ruthless swim to take silver in the women’s 200m backstroke.
SWIMMING: Victorian Belinda Hocking has won Australia’s 10th medal in the pool at the 2013 FINA World Championships in a determined and ruthless swim to take silver in the women’s 200m backstroke.
A silver medallist in the same event two years ago, Hocking missed the final in London and returned to international competition in style, swimming past Canadian Hilary Caldwell to win Australia’s seventh silver medal of the meet.
Turning eighth at the half way mark, the dual Olympian came home quicker than everyone else in the field other than gold medallist Missy Franklin (2:04.76) to the hit the wall in 2:06.66, just outside her own Australian record for the event.
“I’m so happy with that. I think after the last few years I’ve learnt to be a bit more humble about things,” said the 22-year-old.
“After 2011 winning the silver medal, I went into last year thinking ‘I won a silver last year, so I’m going to win it again this year’ – but that taught me more than anything that people win races, not times.”
“Tonight I just got in there, I knew I had done it before and I was really happy with that result. I think tonight I just went back to my instincts as a younger swimmer and just went out there and raced.”
In the semi-finals of the women’s 50m freestyle sprint siblings Cate and Bronte Campbell will swim in their first major international final together, with older sister Cate the fastest qualifier through in 24.19 and Bronte fifth fastest in 24.62.
A gold medallist in the 100m freestyle last night, Cate Campbell will be looking for the sprint double tomorrow night, while Bronte is well placed to also push for a medal in the one lap splash and dash.
Samantha Marshall qualified 11th overall in the women’s 50m breaststroke 31.26, while Ashley Delaney finished 12th in 25.21.
2013 FINA World Championships – Australian Swim Team – Medallists
Three Gold, Seven Silver, One Bronze – 10 Medals in Total
Gold – Christian Sprenger – 100m Breaststroke
Gold – James Magnussen – 100m Freestyle
Gold – Cate Campbell – 100m Freestyle
Silver – Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon, Alicia Coutts – 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Silver – Alicia Coutts – 100m Butterfly
Silver – Alicia Coutts – 200m Individual Medley
Silver – Emily Seebohm – 100m Backstroke
Silver – Christian Sprenger – 50m Breaststroke
Swimming Australia
