Olympics: Spain's Belmonte Garcia wins women's 200m butterfly gold

Mireira Belmonte Garcia of Spain competes in the women's 200m Butterfly heats of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Swimming events at Olympic Aquatics Stadium at the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 9. PHOTO: EPA

RIO DE JANEIRO - Spain's Mireia Belmonte Garcia prevented China from winning an unprecedented hat-trick of women's 200m butterfly Olympic golds on Wednesday, touching home in 2min 4.85sec.

Australian Madeline Groves finished second at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in 2:04.88. world champion Natsumi Hoshi of Japan took bronze (2:05.20).

"I didn't believe it and even now I don't believe it," said Belmonte Garcia, Spain's first gold medallist at the Rio Games. "Now I have to rest because tomorrow I have the (800m freestyle) and I have to try to sleep."

China's Zhou Yilin was fifth (2:07.37) while compatriot Zhang Yufei was sixth (2:07.40).

The Asian powerhouse produced 200m butterfly champions at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games in the form of Liu Zige and Jiao Liuyang respectively.

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