Le Clos wins Gold at Fina Championships

Despite the very strong support from the crowd, Laszlo Cseh (HUN) couldn’t upset Chad Le Clos, who took control of the race from the very first metres. The South African earned gold in 1:53.33 and recovered the world crown, after losing for the Hungarian two years ago in Kazan and earning also gold in Barcelona 2013. Cseh, 31, won his first medal at the World Championships in 2003 (also in the Catalonian capital), a silver in the 400m IM. He was seventh at the Rio 2016 Olympics in this race, an event won by Michael Phelps. Le Clos had precisely beaten the US legend in London 2012, but was only fourth last summer in Brazil. In Budapest, the bronze went to Daiya Seto (JPN), who had never medalled in this event – he has two world titles in the 400m IM, in 2013 and 2015. The second local hero, Tamas Kenderesi (third in Rio) could not make the podium, touching in fourth (1:54.73). The most successful athlete at the Worlds in the men’s 200m fly was Michael Phelps, with five titles in 2001 and 2003, and again in 2007, 2009 and 2011.