Sensational: Hungarian Hubert Kós wins gold with European record in 200m backstroke!
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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.