Boyle Grabs Double Medal Haul in Beijing Swimming World Cup

Kiwi swim star Lauren Boyle grabbed her first double medal return on the penultimate night of finals in the FINA World Cup in Beijing today.

The Swimming New Zealand State AquaBlack finished second behind Spain’s Mireia Belmonte in the 800m freestyle and returned to the pool less than 20 minutes later to finish third in the final of the 200m freestyle, won by World Cup overall leader Katinka Hosszu of Hungary.

The 800m freestyle produced another classic showdown between Boyle, the short course world champion, and Belmonte, the world record holder, with the Kiwi gaining the upperhand at both Singapore and Tokyo.

This time fellow Spaniard Melanie Costa, the 400m short course world champion, did not make her typical flying start, and it was left to Boyle and Belmonte to slug it out.

The New Zealander edged into the lead at the 250m mark as they went through the halfway mark in 4min05sec and they were still together at 600m. However unlike in Tokyo at the weekend, it was the Spanish swimmer who surged to gain a slight break and went on to win in 8:07.59, with the New Zealander second in 8:10.47, and Costa third well back.

Boyle showed her fighting spirits two races later in the final of the 200m freestyle. With Hosszu and Costa clear in the lead, the New Zealander produced a withering final 50m burst in 29.05s, the fastest of all finishers, to climb from fifth to the final spot on the podium.

Her time of 1:55.20 was only 0.2s off her New Zealand record and her fastest of the series.

She will complete the Asian cluster in the final session of the seven-stop World Cup with the 400m freestyle tomorrow (NZ time).

Results, FINA World Cup, Beijing, Day 1:
800m freestyle: Mireia Belmonte (ESP) 8:07.59, 1; Lauren Boyle (NZL) 8:10.47, 2; Melanie Costa (ESP) 8:18.03, 3.
200m freestyle: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 1:53.82, 1; Costa 1:54.57, 2; Boyle 1:55.20, 3.