Victories keep rolling for IU’s Lilly King



By Pete DiPrimio

What’s next for Lilly King – walking on water?

Indiana’s swimming superstar continues to blast through water like nobody else, racking up awards, gold medals and races faster than you can ask, Mark Spitz who?

The last few days King has burned up the lanes at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis as part of the U.S. National Swimming Championships.

She unleashed the fastest 50-meter breaststroke in U.S. history Thursday night in a winning time of 26.66 seconds. In fact, it’s the fastest time in the world this year.

The previous record was held by Jessica Hardy at 26.80 seconds.

Maybe that’s not as impressive as out-swimming a shark, as mega-Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps will try to do, but it’s darn good.

It was a follow up to King's Wednesday night win in the 200-meter breaststroke in a school-record time of 2:21.83 seconds, the second-fastest time in the world this year. It all qualified her for next month’s FINA world championships in Budapest, which geography maps show is in Hungary.

King’s 50-meter time topped the previous world best of the year delivered by Russia’s Yulia Efimova.

Yes, that’s the same Efimova who King called out for cheating after Efimova was banned twice for doping.

So there could be lots of drama in Budapest.

King isn’t done. On Friday she competes in her favorite event, which is the 100 backstroke.

And, in case you’ve forgotten, King also won Big Ten female athlete of the year earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, former Hoosier Cody Miller, a two-time Olympic medalist, took third in the men’s 50-meter breaststroke in Indianapolis on Thursday.

Yes, that’s a lot of Cream ‘n Crimson glory going on.

The good news -- wait till Hoosier football and basketball get going.


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