Records continue to tumble in Kazan

KAZAN, Russia: Katie Ledecky of the USA demolished her own world record as she retained the women’s 1500m freestyle world title in Tuesday’s final.
Having broke the world record in Monday morning’s heats, the 18-year-old triple world record-holder knocked 2.23 seconds off her own personal best to clock 15 minutes, 25.48secs.
New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle took silver at 14.66secs back while Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas came home for bronze at 21.61secs adrift.
Meanwhile, Emily Seebohm bounced back from a dislocated knee earlier this year to win her second gold of the world swimming championships in the women’s 100m backstroke final.
Australia’s Seebohm, who also won a relay gold on Sunday, touched the wall at 58.26secs with team-mate Madison Wilson taking silver at 0.49secs while Denmark’s Mie Oe Nielsen earned bronze at 0.60.
The defending world and Olympic champion Missy Franklin of the USA finished fifth at 1.15 back.
After two world and two Olympic relay golds, this was Seebohm’s first individual major title as she came within 0.03secs of her personal best and was all the more remarkable after she dislocated her knee.
“Winning here is something I have worked on since the London Olympics,” said an emotional Seebohm who cried during the medal ceremony when the Australian anthem was played.
“It was almost a PB and I know I haven’t had the best prep and with the better prep I can get there.
“I have got to thank the coaches who have worked with me.
“I couldn’t be happier.”
The USA claimed gold and silver in the women’s high diving event as Rachelle Simpson took the title.
The 27-year-old won gold after three rounds from 20m, where the divers enter the water feet first, with 258.70 points to take the first world title of her career.
Silver went to her US team-mate Cesilie Carlton, the defending world champion from two years ago in Barcelona, who scored 237.35pts, and hugged Simpson when her victory was confirmed.
“Rachelle was amazing, you always want to win, but I’m happy to take silver home,” said Carlton.
“It’s pretty scary to dive from 20m, you look down and you don’t want to mess up.
“You have to trust in the training you have had and in your body, it knows what it’s doing.”
Bronze was won by Yana Nestsiarava, the youngest of the nine divers taking part, with a score of 233.10pts.
Britain’s Adam Peaty said it was easy to break the men’s 50m breaststroke record at the world swimming championships — the second time it has fallen on Tuesday.
After South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh, the event’s reigning world champion, had set a new record time of 26.62secs in the morning’s heats, the 20-year-old Peaty came out and swam 26.42secs in the evening’s semi-finals.
I knew there was something in there, but I decided to just stay relaxed and enjoy the environment,” said Peaty, who won the 100m world title by beating Van der Burgh on the wall in Monday’s final.
“The 50m event is not an Olympic event, so there is kind of no pressure out there.
“That was a really good race, the heats this morning were so easy, my time of 26.68secs this morning was probably the easiest 50 I have ever done.
“So I just enjoyed what I was doing in tonight’s heats.”
It promises to be a breaststroke battle royal between the pair again in Wednesday’s 50m final as Van der Burgh swam 26.74secs to win his semi.
Mitchell Larkin of Australia won the men’s 100m backstroke final. Larkin touched the wall at 52.40secs with France’s Camille Lacourt taking silver at 0.08secs back and Olympic champion Matt Grevers taking bronze at 0.26secs.