Gonzaga Prep senior Daniel Roy wins world junior title in 200-meter breaststroke

Daniel Roy is a world champion.

The 17-year-old Gonzaga Prep senior won the 200-meter breaststroke at the sixth FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2017 on Saturday in Indianapolis for his first world title.

A double winner at the Speedo Junior Nationals two weeks ago in New York, Roy entered the World Junior finals in his specialty as the No. 1 seed after capturing his heat.

Roy was fourth at the 100-meter mark before closing quickly and holding off 6-foot-8 American rival Reece Whitley by .05 seconds with a personal-record winning time of 2 minutes, 10.77 seconds.

“If I stayed with them that first 100, and I came back on them hard I knew I was going to win,” the 5-8 Roy said. “It’s been a long year … and just to see how everything just pans out, it’s been great.”

Roy, who swims for the King Aquatic Club in Federal Way, Washington, won the 100 and 200 breaststroke in the Junior National, the latter in the meet-record time of 2:11.25.

He’s returning to Spokane from the World Juniors with two medals. He also captured silver in the mixed team 4x100 medley relay on Thursday.

Roy swam the breaststroke leg on the U.S. team that won its heat, but all four swimmers were replaced for the final, with Whitley taking his spot.

The U.S. was beaten by Canada, for the gold medal. All swimmers who were on the team share in the medals.