China won two gold medals to add to their medal tally as the United States and Italy won their first gold medals of the swimming program.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke - Qin Haiyang emerges as World champion

After a strong showing at Chinese Nationals in May where Qin Haiyang blasted a 57.93 in the 100m breaststroke, becoming the third man in history inside 58 seconds, many wondered if he was for real. Qin had never made a major final at the World Championships or Olympics in breaststroke, only registering a sixth place finish in the 200m IM at the 2017 World Championships. But when he went 57 seconds, it was a legit time, and he was a legit medal contender.

On Monday night in Fukuoka, Qin won the lot, swimming to a new Asian record at 57.69 to become the World champion and the second-fastest man of all-time.

Qin, coached by Cui Dengrong, blasted the first 50 meters, taking American Nic Fink with him as Qin turned at 26.96 to Fink’s 27.08. Once Qin got to about 65 meters, it was all him as the rest of the field scrambled to get on the podium and could not keep up.

“Since I got a new coach, I have matured psychologically a lot,” Qin said in a press conference through a translator. “Before I viewed swimming as a job but now it is a life for me. Now, I really enjoy swimming.”

As the field lunged to the wall, three number 2’s showed up on the scoreboard - a three way tie for silver between last year’s three medalists Nicolo Martinenghi, Arno Kamminga, and Fink at 58.72. Martinenghi backs up his World title last year with silver in 2023 as Kamminga wins his third straight silver at a major meet, with runner-up efforts at the 2022 Worlds and 2020 Olympics.

“I realized it was a tie when I touched the wall and I saw the second red light on my starting block,” Martinenghi said. “It was insane, really insane. Before the race I thought that we were three people for two medals, but I didn’t imagine we would be three people for the same medal. It’s incredible.”

“I'm really happy,” Kamminga said. “It's been a really rough year for me. Pretty tough. I had to take a year out of the pool. We were sick so many times last year. And then starting from nothing going back to racing in five months. It's been really rough. A lot of challenges so it’s nice to be back and winning at the end.”

Fink, the World short course champion in December, wins his third individual medal at the World Aquatics Championships.

“It's a slow process because I look at my name and I see it too and then I kind of see everyone else's reaction and I'm like, ‘wait what's happening?’” Fink said. “I see, oh, I actually tied Arno for second. That's great. And Nicolò is also celebrating. I'm like, wait a minute ‘1, 2, 3’? Oh, he's also second too!

“So it was a slow process of kind of realizing what was going on. But again, those guys are great and the fact that we're all going at the same time here, it goes to show how close the competition really is in breaststroke.”

Qin wins China’s first gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the World Championships and is the first Asian man to be World champion since Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima won in 2003.

Qin now has his eyes set on Adam Peaty’s other-worldly world record of 56.88 set in 2019.

“The biggest improvement for me is I have a dream right now,” Qin said through a translator. “I have a dream about the world record. Because I have a dream, then I know how to chase the dream and I have the energy to do the daily practices. My team members give me a lot of support because everyone has the same dream - we are going to get the world record. If we have the same dream, we work as a group and as one, and we can chase the dream and get it.”

Germany’s Lucas Matzerath finished just off the podium in fifth at 58.88.

Women’s 100m Butterfly - Zhang Yufei redeems herself with gold in Fukuoka

After winning silver at the Olympics and bronze at last year’s World Championships, China’s Zhang Yufei finally broke through for her first 100m butterfly gold medal on Monday at the Marine Messe in Fukuoka.

“In the Tokyo Olympics, even though I got second I have no regrets in that 100m butterfly because I did my best,” Zhang said in a press conference through a translator. “But last year, I got a bronze medal and I didn’t do a very good job. I really thank my components like Mac Neil and Huske and McKeon gave me a lot of strength to do my best in the 100m butterfly so I hope in the future, especially next year at the Paris Olympics, we can go together to make the women’s 100m butterfly the best of the best.”

It was a highly anticipated race with half of the all-time top ten sharing the pool. Reigning Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil of Canada and reigning World champion Torri Huske of the United States were expected to challenge Zhang, along with Australia’s Emma McKeon and France’s Marie Wattel, who are both in the all-time top ten.

Zhang, Huske, and Mac Neil bolted to the front on the first 50 meters, with Zhang leading at 26.03 to Huske’s 26.04, with Mac Neil in third at 26.15.

Mac Neil used her powerful underwater kicks to push past the field, but she could not hold on to that lead as Zhang hit another gear on the last 15 meters.

It wasn’t a scintillating final with Zhang winning gold at 56.12. Mac Neil won the silver to back up her World title in 2019 at 56.45 as Huske won bronze at 56.61.

Zhang is coached by Cui Dengrong, as China won its second gold of the night.

“Honestly I am more happy with the placing than I am than about the time,” Mac Neil said. “Sure, I would have hoped to be faster, but that’s something I still need to work towards for next year. But it's always nice to stay back on the international stage.”

“I was super excited to race them,” Huske said. “I mean this is an amazing field, and I’m very grateful that I got on the podium. Third is a really big deal especially after I got touched out in Tokyo.”

McKeon finished off the podium in fourth at 56.88 ahead of Germany’s Angelina Kohler (57.05) and France’s Wattel (57.13). 

Zhang wins China’s third gold medal in the women’s 100m butterfly as she joins the likes of Qian Hong (1991) and Liu Limin (1994) as World champions in the event.

Zhang’s next goal is to take aim at Sarah Sjostrom’s world record of 55.48 set at the 2016 Olympics.

“Since 2020, the world record has always been my dream,” Zhang said through a translator. “But we all know the world record is not easy to break. That’s why we need to work hard and be perfect. We need to find the perfect moment to do the perfect job to do the world record. So right now I think the top swimmers from other countries have an equal chance to break the world record. I hope the Asian Games is the perfect chance for me to break the record so let’s look forward to the world record broken.”

Men’s 50m Butterfly - Thomas Ceccon slays the double; Diogo Ribeiro backs up junior success with podium

In the splash and dash butterfly final, it was Italy’s Thomas Ceccon who came out on top with a gold medal at 22.68. After swimming the fastest time in the 100m backstroke semi-finals, Ceccon quickly exited the pool to get ready for the 50m butterfly final.

With all the attention on the speed of France’s Maxime Grousset through the first two rounds, Ceccon seemingly flew under the radar, and when all eight swimmers dashed to the wall, it was Ceccon who came out on top at 22.68.

“It was fast. I wanted this medal so bad because last year I was fifth,” Ceccon said. “I have done the repeat events before, so it is really hard for me mentally and physically, but today I did it. I am so happy with that. I was not preparing for this 50m final, just for the 100m Backstroke semi-final, and I just tried to pull through.”

The silver went the way of Portugal’s Diogo Matos Ribeiro, the youngest athlete in the entire field at 18-years-old as the world junior champion and world junior record holder won Portugal’s first ever swimming medal at the World Aquatics Championships. Ribeiro swam 22.80 for his new personal best.

“I'm very emotional right now at this moment because of all the work that me and my team have dealt with in the past year,” Ribeiro said. “It was just amazing. And probably, you know, that I have a motorcycle accident. So to get all the way here and get a medal. I can’t explain.

“It’s the first medal (for Portugal). It's very important for us. I wasn't expecting this at all. But now I'm super happy, and I just want to enjoy it with my team.”

Grousset won the bronze medal at 22.82 for France’s second medal of the championships.

Ceccon, coached by Alberto Burlina, wins Italy’s first ever 50m butterfly medal at the World Championships as he won his second medal of the championships, anchoring Italy to silver last night in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Ceccon will also be a heavy favorite in tomorrow’s 100m backstroke final.

Great Britain’s Jacob Peters and Ben Proud, who appeared to be in the lead at 35 meters, finished fourth and fifth at 22.84 and 22.91, respectively.

Women’s 200m IM - Kate Douglass answers the hype, wins first long course World title

American Kate Douglass had experienced an inordinate amount of domestic success in the United States, tearing apart the record books in short course yards and meters. But Douglass had yet to convert that success to the long course venue, achieving a bronze medal last year in the 200m breaststroke at the championships in Budapest.

On Monday night in Fukuoka, Douglass came through - a gold medal in the 200m IM at 2:07.17 over teammate and defending champion Alex Walsh (2:07.97). The swim is the first gold medal for the American swim team at these World Championships and it’s the seventh gold medal for the Americans in the 200m IM at the Worlds.

Douglass joins the likes of Kathy Heddy (1975), Tracy Caulkins (1978), Maggie Bowen (2001), Katie Hoff (2005, 2007), Ariana Kukors (2009) and Walsh (2022) as World champions in the event for the United States.

“I am really happy about that race,” Douglass said. “I really just wanted to get the gold for ‘Team USA’ tonight and I am so happy that I did that. I think this year I just tried to conserve a little bit more energy in the prelims, and I think I did a great job with that. I was ready to race tonight.”

Walsh pressed the pace hard on the first 100 meters, turning at 59.20 at the halfway point, and with her two best strokes ahead of her, it appeared she would take a crack at Katinka Hosszu’s world record of 2:06.12.

Douglass pushed through on the breaststroke, splitting 36.17 on the third 50, as she and Walsh were the only ones under 37, to pull into second after Walsh at the 150. But Douglass found something within her, splitting 29.83 on the freestyle to run down Walsh and claim her first World title.

“I know exactly how Kate and all the other girls swim that race so I knew I just had to battle it,” Walsh said. “Obviously I wasn't where I was last year but there is a lot to learn after that. I'm happy with my swim.”

China’s Yu Yiting, who turns 18 on September 5, won her first major international medal with a bronze at 2:08.74, holding off Australia’s Jenna Forrester (2:08.98) for the final spot on the podium. China won its third medal of the night on the swimming program.

“I’m so happy about today’s race because this is my goal and I achieved it,” Yu said. “That’s why I’m very excited and very happy. First of all, I want to thank China because China helped me a lot. China gave all the support and help I needed.

“And second, I want to say thank you to my coach. He is the one who made me who I am. And of course, I really want to say thank you to my parents. I know they are in front of TV and watching my race. That’s why I want to say thank you to all of them.”

Olympic champion Yui Ohashi, hearing the cheers from the Fukuoka crowd, finished sixth at 2:11.27.

Semis Wrap

Men’s 100m Backstroke

Shortly before winning the 50m butterfly final, Italy’s Thomas Ceccon swam the fastest 100m back semi-final at 52.16 to qualify ahead of two-time World champ Xu Jiayu (52.42) and 2016 Olympic champ Ryan Murphy (52.56) of the United States.

France qualified both of its swimmers in Mewen Tomac (52.86) and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (53.06) as they look forward to building momentum for a home Olympics.

Hungary’s Hubert Kos, who comes from the same training pool in the United States as Leon Marchand, qualified sixth at 53.17 ahead of last year’s World Junior champion Ksawery Masiuk (53.20) of Poland.

Last year’s bronze medalist Hunter Armstrong (53.21) of the United States barely scraped through in eighth.

Women’s 100m Breaststroke

The world record may be under threat as 2012 Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania was under Lilly King’s record pace at the 50m mark. Meilutyte was the World champ in 2013 and held the record before King as the American is seeded second at 1:05.45.

Reigning Olympic silver medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker (1:05.53) is seeded third ahead of Ireland’s Mona Mc Sharry (1:05.96), Estonia’s Eneli Jefimova (1:06.18) and Sweden’s Sophie Hansson (1:06.19).

Reigning Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby of the United States barely squeaked into the final in seventh at 1:06.29 as she is in her first World Championships.

Japan was able to celebrate Fukuoka’s own Satomi Suzuki advancing to the final in eighth at 1:06.31 at age 32. This was the fastest eighth-place time through the semi-finals in history

Women’s 100m Backstroke

American Regan Smith and Australian Kaylee McKeown set themselves up for a great duel on Tuesday night in the 100m backstroke final as Smith will have lane four after her 58.33 in the semis and McKeown (58.48) will occupy lane five. McKeown is the reigning Olympic champion while Smith is the defending World champion.

Lurking in the wings however, is American Katharine Berkoff, who is seeded third at 58.60. If anyone could pull the upset tomorrow, it could be her.

Canada advanced two to the final with Kylie Masse (59.06) and Ingrid Wilm (59.35). France’s Pauline Mahieu (59.30), China’s Wan Letian (59.49) and Great Britain’s Medi Harris (59.62) also qualified for the final.

Men’s 200m Freestyle

Defending World champion and 2022 World Aquatics male swimmer of the year David Popovici of Romania cruised through the 200m free semis at 1:44.70 as he is ahead of American rookie Luke Hobson (1:44.87).

Last year’s Worlds silver medalist, Korea’s Hwang Sunwoo, qualified third at 1:45.07 as he will be joined by teammate Lee Hojoon, who qualified sixth at 1:45.93. This will be the first time South Korea has had two finalists in the same event at a World Championships.

Great Britain’s Tom Dean (1:45.29) and Matthew Richards (1:45.40) are safely into tomorrow’s final as Dean is the reigning Olympic champ and Richards is in his first major final individually.

American Kieran Smith also advanced to the final in seventh at 1:45.96.

Austria’s Felix Auboeck won a swim-off over Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto for the last spot in tomorrow’s final with a 1:46.30 to Matsumoto’s 1:46.37.