Swimming: Belmonte adds 200m fly world title to Olympic gold

Belmonte poses with her medal. PHOTO: REUTERS

BUDAPEST (AFP) - Spain's Mireia Belmonte won the women's 200m butterfly title at the world championships on Thursday (July 27) to add to her Olympic gold medal.

Belmonte touched the wall in two minutes, 05.26 seconds with Germany's Franziska Hentke taking silver at 0.13 back and Hungary's Katinka Hosszu earning bronze at 0.63.

Having won world silver at home in Barcelona four years ago, Belmonte has gone one better a year after being crowned Olympic champion in Rio.

"This is one of the best moments of my life," said the Spaniard. "This golden medal was the last which was missing from my collection.

"Rio is the best moment in my life, but this is an important moment. The key to win this final was the first 100 metres." This was Belmonte's second medal of these championships after she took silver in the 1500m freestyle on Tuesday - finishing 19 seconds behind gold-medallist and long-distance queen Katie Ledecky of the USA.

Hentke, 28, the European champion in 2016, was stunned by her silver, the first major medal of her career.

"I don't know what to say, I am absolutely speechless and I am so happy," said Hentke, who claimed Germany's first swimming medal in Budapest.

"When I saw the line-up for the final I was sure that only Mireia Belmonte, Katinka Hosszu and me can take a medal, but I still can't believe it that I got the silver."

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