Lilly King Cooks Up 2:21.82 Outing to Prevail in 200 Breaststroke at Indy Pro Series
The quest of Lilly King to bring the 200-meter breaststroke on par with her world-record skill at half the distance continues to reap positive results. The American bolted to the front of the field on Saturday night and never looked back, as she touched the wall in 2:21.82, good for a one-second margin over Emily Escobedo (2:22.81). King’s triumph complemented her win in the 100 breast from earlier in the competition.
As the reigning Olympic champion in the 100 breaststroke and world-record holder in the 50 and 100 breaststroke events, King is untouched when it comes to the sprints. But she has clearly placed an emphasis on the 200 breaststroke and expanding her prowess to all distances. King went out in 31.66 for her opening lap and touched in 1:07.68 at the midway point. While Escobedo cut about a half-second off her deficit over the back half of the race, King’s early advantage proved to be the difference.
Barring a shock at the United States Olympic Trials, King will be the heavy favorite to capture a second consecutive gold in the 100 breaststroke at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Now, she is looking more and more like a medal contender in the 200 breast.
“I don’t like being called the greatest sprint breaststroker of all-time,” she said. “I want to be called the best breaststroker of all-time.”
The Results
- Lilly King – 2:21.82
- Emily Escobedo – 2:22.81
- Ella Nelson – 2:26.66
The men’s 200 breaststroke went to Alex Evdokimov in a time of 2:12.10, with Iceland’s Anton McKee following right behind in 2:12.24. Also posting a time in the 2:12 range was Miguel Chavez, who clocked a 2:12.74.
