“I never thought about beating Sun Yang or anyone”, Guy told British Swimming.
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“There’s more there for me though”.
The 18-year-old from Maryland, who reigned supreme in the women’s 400m freestyle, was the strong favourite in the race and managed to live up to expectations, touching the wall comfortably ahead of Lauren Boyle of The Netherlands and Hungarian Boglarka Kapas.
“I was prepared for it and it did hurt a lot, but I got the job done and it feels really good”, said Ledecky. That was my best today and to come fourth is really disappointing.
Peaty also swam 26.62 at the European Championships in Berlin last August but that mark was not approved by world governing body FINA because he wasn’t tested for the blood-booster EPO.
Australia dominated the 100-meter backstroke events at the world swimming championships Tuesday, winning the men’s title and going 1-2 in the women’s final.
Camille Lacourt of France was second in 52.48 and current Olympic champion Matt Grevers of the United States finished third in 52.66. Ryan Lochte and Chad Le Clos finished in fourth and sixth.
The time won’t actually make Guy the world leader – Australian Thomas Fraser-Holmes, not swimming in this final, still leads that category with a 1:45.08 – and Guy’s winning time was much slower than the 1:44.20 that won the race for Agnel in 2013.
“I would have loved to be on the podium but that’s the way it goes sometimes”.
Guy’s compatriot, Adam Peaty, earlier set a world record for the men’s 50-meter breaststroke.
But while he turned the tables on Sun after the Chinese swimmer beat him to the touch in the 400m Free, Guy insisted his only focus for the final had been to stick to his own pacing strategy.
The American, chasing four individual world titles, will face a tough final after Italy’s Federica Pellegrini and Missy Franklin, of the United States, took the first two final berths.
“I’m not going to go into politics about it, ” Peaty said.
The Russian, competing in her first major competition since her doping ban ended in February, posted 1:05.66, with Lithuanian rival Ruta Meilutyte claiming silver.
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The pair will race again in the final on Wednesday afternoon.
