Budapest 2024, Day 1 Finals: Shaine Casas Lowers Ryan Lochte’s Championship & American Records For 200IM Gold
Shaine Casas posted the second-fastest 200 IM in history as he lowered Ryan Lochte’s Championship and American records en-route to gold at the short-course worlds in Budapest.
The USA swimmer led throughout as he posted 1:49.51 to go 0.12 inside Lochte’s time of 1:49.63 that had stood since December 2012, set at that year’s edition of these championships hosted in Istanbul.
Only Leon Marchand, and his WR of 1:48.88, has gone quicker than Casas. Marchand isn’t present in Budapest this week.
Casas had owned the sixth-fastest time in history entering the meet, going 1:50.37 at the World Aquatics World Cup stop in Toronto in 2022. He would finish fourth in that event, a quarter second off the podium, at the 2022 World Championships in Melbourne.
Alberto Razzetti lowered his Italian record to 1:50.88 for silver with Finlay Knox replicating his bronze of Melbourne 2022 in 1:50.90, a Canadian standard.
Casas has long used short-course as a springboard for achievement in the longer pool. The Californian, who turns 25 on Christmas Day, is up to 11 career medals at Short-Course Wold Championships, with six in Abu Dhabi in 2021 and four in Melbourne. His individual gold matches the 100 back gold in 2021.
Casas parlayed his strong short-course form into an Olympic berth last summer, qualifying for the 200 IM in a career-defining swim at U.S. Olympic Trials. He failed to make it out semifinals in Paris, finishing ninth.
