Italy’s Federica Pellegrini has won the gold medal in the 200m freestyle at the world swimming championships in Shanghai, coming from behind in the last 50m.
The first place spot is Pellegrini’s second gold medal of the championship. On Sunday, the 22-year-old swimmer also won the 400m freestyle race.
The double victory has made swimming history as Pellegrini also took home two gold medals at the 2009 world swimming championship in Rome. She is the first woman to have won both the 200m and the 400m in successive championships.
The happy athlete was interviewed poolside after her 200m win, declaring: “I won with my head and my heart. The 200 is my race.”
Pellegrini also brought home Italy’s first Olympic gold medal in women's swimming by winning the 200m freestyle in Beijing in 2008.
