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Roundup: Hungarian swimmer Hosszu hails "crazy" world record

Xinhua, August 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

Hungary's Katinka Hosszu described her gold medal performance in the women's 400-meter individual medley at the Rio Olympics on Saturday as "crazy".

The 27-year-old set a new world record of 4 minutes 26.36 seconds, beating the previous mark held by China's Ye Shiwen by more than two seconds.

"It's just crazy that I've been able to swim two seconds faster than anyone ever, ever did. It's just crazy," Hosszu said.

Maya Dirado of the United States took silver with a time of 4:31.15 and Spain's Mireia Belmonte grabbed third in 4:32.39.

It was Hosszu's first Olympic podium finish, despite having netted nine world championship medals - five of them gold. Rio 2016 is her fourth Olympic campaign.

"It's been a really long road," she said. "I would have been OK if I didn't get a medal today, but I'm definitely pretty happy."

Hosszu was not the only record-breaker in a fascinating first day of competition at the Olympic Aquatics stadium.

Australia shot to the top of the Olympic medal table by clinching their second gold of the night and setting a new world record in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay final.

Emma McKeon, Brittany Elmslie, Bronte Campbell and Cate Campbell won in 3:30.65, beating the previous mark of 3:30.98, also set by Australia in 2014.

"It's definitely my favourite race ever," Bronte Campbell said. "In an Olympic final with my sister and two girls I have known since I was 12 years old and a gold and a world record... You can't ask for more."

"Every kid dreams of it, it's what we always hope for."

Earlier, Mack Horton won Australia's first gold medal of the Rio Games in the men's 400m freestyle, beating favorite Sun Yang of China by just 13 hundredths of a second.

Meanwhile, Kosuke Hagino pocketed Japan's first gold medal of the Games with victory in the men's 400-meter individual medley final.

Hagino, 21, survived a late challenge from the USA's Chase Kalisz to win in 4:6.05.

Kalisz, who was the fastest in qualifying, finished seven tenths of a second further back and Japan's Daiya Seto was third in 4:09.71

Earlier in the day, Britain's Adam Peaty broke his own world record in the men's 100m breaststroke.

The 21-year-old clocked 57.55 seconds in the heats to shave 0.37 seconds off his record set in London last year.

In the evening session he qualified for Sunday's final in 57.62 seconds, ahead of the USA's Cody Miller (59.05) and Japan's Yasuhiro Koseki (59.23)

Peaty, who is world champion in the event, is aiming to become the first Briton to win an Olympic swimming gold medal for 28 years. Endit