BUDAPEST: Michael Phelps, you’ve got company.
Caeleb Dressel won his seventh gold medal of the world championships Sunday, putting the US team ahead to stay with another dominating swim in the 4x100-meter medley relay.
One night after becoming the first swimmer to win three golds in one night at a major international meet, Dressel joined Phelps in another elite club with seven golds at the second-biggest meet after the Olympics.
Phelps had seven victories at the 2007 worlds in Melbourne, Australia — a prelude to his record eight golds the following year at the Beijing Olympics.
Dressel matched the feat along the banks of the Danube, emerging as America’s next great swimming star.
The 20-year-old University of Florida student won three individual golds and was part of four winning relay teams.
Olympic champion Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy won the men’s 1500m freestyle final to retain the title he won two years ago in Kazan.
Paltrinieri clocked 14 minutes, 52.07 seconds with Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk taking silver at 1.29 back and Mack Horton of Australia earning bronze at 11.85 behind.
Romanchuk gave Paltrinieri a hard race, but the Italian held on to add the world title to the Olympic gold he won in Rio de Janeiro.
“I did everything I could to beat the Olympic winner, but he is the champion,” said the Ukrainian.
“Next time I will win — it’s a fantastic motivation, I will do everything to make it happen.”
Lilly King took the breaststroke rubber match with Yulia Efimova — and set another world record for good measure.
Chase Kalisz kept the US firmly on top of the world in the men’s individual medley.
The brash King knocked off her second record of the world championships in Budapest, touching first in the 50-meter breaststroke Sunday.
King eclipsed the mark of 29.48 set by Lithuania’s Ruta Mielutyte at the 2013 worlds in Barcelona.
King added the 50 mark to her record-setting performance in the 100 breast. This was essentially the deciding match of her duel with Efimova, who won the 200 breast while King finished fourth.
In seventh heaven: Dressel ties Phelps’ record with 7th gold
In seventh heaven: Dressel ties Phelps’ record with 7th gold
$1.5m Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Cup draws strong field
- Nasser Mutlaq saddles 4 for Friday feature at King Abdulaziz Racecourse
- Nadem Al-Molwk Al-Khalediah top rated of 11 runners
RIYADH: Trainer Nasser Mutlaq will saddle four runners in this year’s $1.5 million (SR5.6 million) Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Cup, which takes place on Friday at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.
Nadem Al-Molwk Al-Khalediah, ridden by Adel Alfouraidi, is the pick of Mutlaq’s entries for the Group 1 event, which is the jewel in the crown of the two-day Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Arabian Horse Festival.
Despite having run only six times, the 6-year-old has four wins and is top-rated of the 11 runners for the 1,800 meter feature.
Last time out he beat the reopposing French-trained Al Kaaser by four lengths in the G3 Imam Turki bin Abdullah Sword on Dec. 27. Turki Al-Khalediah II and Mutwakel Alkhalediah, which finished third and fourth in that race, and recent winner Mostabsil Al-Khalediah complete the Mutlaq quartet.
Another French raider is Moshrif, trained by Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte, which chased home Tilal AI Khalediah in the G1 Al-Mneefah Cup during last year’s Saudi Cup weekend.
Mutlaq will also be well represented in Friday’s $300,000 Princess Mounira Bint Abdulaziz Bin Musaed Bin Jalawi Cup over 1,600 meters, saddling three of the eight runners.
His trio comprises Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah, which was second to Tilal AI-Khalediah in Taif in September, Mubarizat Alkhalediah and Maitha Al Khalediah. France will be represented by the Elizabeth Bernard-trained Algheed.
Thursday’s feature is the Group 2 $500,000 Al Khalediah Stable International Cup over 1,600 meters, in which Nawahel Alkhalediah and Nijinski Al Maury stand out in a field of eight after finishing sixth and seventh respectively behind Nadem Al-Molwk Al-Khalediah last month.
Before that will be the inaugural running of the $100,000 Mutlaq bin Moshrif Cup, staged in honor of Nasser Mutlaq’s father, who died last year.
Saturday’s all-thoroughbred card features the 2,400 meter $40,000 Al-Jouf Region Governorate Cup which has a full field of 20 declared and includes two runners for the White Stable of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, headed by jockey Camilio Ospina’s course and distance winner Almaqam.
Also on the card is the $40,000 Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture Cup over 1,600 meters for fillies and mares. The British-trained Dance Desire for the Ricardo Ferreira, Thamer Aldaihani, Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah combination is top rated.
