Aussie Mitch Larkin Makes It Three Straight 100 Back World Titles, One Long, Two Short

World S/C Championships

Windsor, Day 2

Men’s 100m backstroke

Locked out of the medals in the 100m backstroke at Rio 2016, Australia’s Mitch Larkin made it three world titles in succession, short-long-short, when he retained the littl-pool crown by 0.04sec over Russian Andrei Shabasov.

Joint sixth at the half-way mark on 24.19, Larkin put in the swiftest return in the race for a 49.65 to 49.69 victory, the bronze going to China’s Xu Jiayu in 50.02 a hand ahead of Japan’s Junya Koga, on 50.21. In a blanket finish, Radoslaw Kawecki, of Poland, and Jacob Pebley, of the United States, misse dout in 50.22 and 50.24 respectively.

Koga had turned in the lead but there was nothing in it: 24.03 to Larkin next to last 0.16sec away.

Mitchell Larkin by PBK

For Larkin, the win not only keeps the crown on the head of the 2015 double long-course World Champion but delivers a happy end to a year of struggle in his and Australia’s camp.

Slated to win between 7 and 9 golds in Rio, the Dolphins came away with 3, none of those to the three double solo world champions of 2015 in solo events. Larkin’s result – silver in the 200m back – was among the best of the Australia haul for second on the medals table in the pool despite the lack of solo medals for the likes of Emily Seebohm, Cate and Bronte Campbell and Cameron McEvoy.

The 2016 pace compared to 2014 and 2012

2014: 49.57; 50.11; 50.12 2012: 49.89; 49.91; 50.50

The world rankings 2016-17:

Men 100M Backstroke 1 49.62 Mitchell Larkin AUS , 23 World Cup Round 3 RUS, Moscow 2 49.69 Andrey Shabasov RUS , 22 World Championships CAN, Windsor 3 49.99 Jiayu Xu …

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