TOKYO, Japan — Indiana University was well-represented on the podium in the women's 200-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics.
IU graduate Lilly King, an Evansville native, took the silver medal in the event, ahead of her training partner in Bloomington, Annie Lazor, who won bronze.
South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker set the first individual swimming world record of the Games with a time of 2:18.95 seconds, breaking the mark of 2:19.11 set by Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen at the 2013 world championships in Barcelona.
King set a blistering pace early in the race and held on for second in 2:19.92. Annie Lazor came in at 2:20.84.
It was an emotional moment for the American teammates after the race. Just months before the Games, Lazor's father, David, passed away suddenly. King vowed to make sure Lazor stayed focused so she could make the Olympic team.
But after the race, it was Lazor talking about the years King has struggled to put in the performance she did on Thursday.
"I'm so so happy to see her have a huge breakthrough in that event," Lazor said of her teammate. "I know it's been an emotional struggle for her the last few years, and to see her break through at the right time, she deserves it so much."
King won the bronze medal in the women's 100-meter breaststroke Monday night. She won gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 100-meter breaststroke and 4x100-meter medley.
Lazor is competing in her first Olympics after beating King at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha last month.
Schoenmaker's record was the third world record set at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with the first two coming in women’s relays.