China’s Zhang Yufei wins butterfly gold

AFP, Tokyo :
China’s Zhang Yufei proved untouchable in the women’s Olymic 200m butterfly final on Thursday, blasting to the gold medal in the third fastest time ever.
The 23-year-old has been in red-hot form this year and hit the wall in a new Olympic record time of 2mins 03.86sec ahead of American Regan Smith (2:05.30) and team-mate Hali Flickinger (2:06.65).
Victory comes as a timely boost for China, who now have their first swimming gold medal in Tokyo to add to one silver, which Zhang won in the 100m fly, and a bronze.
Zhang, a sprint free and fly specialist, had been one of only two women to crack 2:06.00 this year, with Flickinger the other. Her Olympic record at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre was also the quickest time posted in 12 years.
The 23-year-old exploded from the blocks to pull more than a second clear at the first turn and she was motoring at world record pace when the race reached halfway.