Sensational: Hungarian Hubert Kós wins gold with European record in 200m backstroke!
Hungary’s swimming sensation Hubert Kós struck gold at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Friday, winning the men’s 200m backstroke in record-breaking fashion. The 22-year-old Olympic champion touched the wall in 1:53.19, not only breaking his own Hungarian record but also setting a new European record.
Gold medal and a new European benchmark
Kós’s performance shaved nearly a full second off his previous personal best of 1:54.14, which he swam at the 2023 World Championships. That time was already among the fastest in history, ranked ninth worldwide, but in Singapore, he surpassed it with a dominant swim, making history once again.
The Hungarian swimmer’s gold marks his second medal at this year’s championships. A day earlier, Kós won bronze in the 200m individual medley with a time of 1:55.34, just 0.16 seconds shy of László Cseh’s long-standing national record from 2009, 24.hu writes.
Tactical decisions and a historic final
After Thursday’s exhausting double, where he competed in both the 200m IM final and the 200m backstroke semifinal within an hour, Kós made a calculated choice to withdraw from the 100m butterfly event on Friday. With only 25 minutes between the races, he prioritised his focus on defending his backstroke title.
In the final, Kós started strong from lane three, trailing just behind the early leader at the 50m mark with a split of 26.17. By the halfway point, he was matching the pace of the South African front-runner, even swimming under world record split times. In the final 50 meters, Kós surged ahead, outlasting his rival in a thrilling finish.
“I had nothing left at the end”
“My coach, Bob Bowman, told me to start calmly. I did, but by the end I had absolutely nothing left,” Kós admitted after the race. “I was shocked I even reached the wall: I was more exhausted than ever before. But I came here to defend my title, and I did it.”
This victory marks Hungary’s 36th world championship gold medal in swimming history.
With his European record and world title, Hubert Kós has not only defended his crown but cemented his position as one of the brightest stars in international swimming.
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