Swimming: Russia's Efimova wins fifth career world championships gold

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Swimming: Russias Efimova wins fifth career world championships gold
USA's Bethany Galat, Russia's Yuliya Efimova and China's Shi Jinglin celebrate on the podium (AFP)

Budapest - Simone Manuel backed up her historic victory at the Olympics with a world championship in the 100-metre freestyle

By AFP/AP

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Published: Fri 28 Jul 2017, 9:38 PM

Last updated: Mon 31 Jul 2017, 1:47 PM

Yuliya Efimova of Russia won the women's 200m breaststroke title at the world championships on Friday to claim the fifth world gold of her career.
Efimova, 25, touched the wall at two minutes, 19.64 seconds after a powerful final 50 metres with Bethany Galat of the United States winning silver at 2.13 back and China's Shi Jinglin taking bronze at 2.29.
After winning bronze in the 100m, Efimova, who served a 16-month ban for doping up until February 2015, now has five world golds spanning four championships.

America's Lilly King, 20, the 100m Olympic and world champion and Efimova's main rival over the shorter distance, led after the first 50 metres, but faded to finish fourth at 2.47 back.
Anton Chupkov won the men's 200m breaststroke final on Friday to give Russia a second gold just minutes after Efimova's victory in the women's race.
Chupkov clocked a new championships record of two minutes, 6.96 seconds with Japan's Yasuhiro Koseki taking silver at 0.33 secs and compatriot Ippei Watanabe earning bronze at 0.51.
Having won bronze in the Olympic final last year, the 20-year-old Chupkov has now won the first major title of his career.
Meanwhile, Great Britain's quartet won the men's 4x200m freestyle gold at the world championships on Friday.
James Guy touched the wall first for Britain in seven minutes, 01.70 seconds with Russia taking silver at 0.98 back with the USA earning bronze at 1.48.
GOLDEN DOUBLE
Simone Manuel backed up her historic victory at the Olympics with a world championship in the 100-metre freestyle on Friday. 
Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom jumped out to a quick lead and was under her own world-record pace when she made the flip, with Manuel in third. 
But the 20-year-old Texan stormed from behind on the return lap, steadily closing the gap until she caught the leader on the very last stroke. 
Manuel touched first with a time of 52.27 seconds - edging Sjostrom by just four-hundredths of a second. 
Pernille Blume of Denmark grabbed the bronze. 
Last summer, Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an individual swimming gold at the Olympics when she tied Canada's Penny Oleksiak for the gold in Rio de Janeiro.


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