High Diving | Men’s 27m

Two-time world champion Gary Hunt leads the pack at the halfway point of the Men’s 27m competition with defending champion Constantin Popovici back in ninth. With two dives still to go, will Hunt deliver France’s second gold medal of Doha 2024.

Athletes to Watch:

Constantin Popovici, Aidan Heslop, Catalin-Petru Preda & Carlos Gimeno are our picks to keep an eye on at the Old Doha Port this morning as highlighted in our pre-competition analysis - Doha 2024 Preview | Eight elite high divers to watch at the Worlds.

Previous Championships:

• 2023:  Gold – Constantin Popovici (ROM), Silver – Catalin Preda (ROM), Bronze – Gary Hunt (FRA)
• 2022:  Not Held
• 2019:  Gold – Gary Hunt (GBR), Silver – Steven LoBue (USA), Bronze – Jonathan Paredes (MEX)
• 2017:  Gold – Steve LoBue (USA), Silver – Michal Navratil (CZE), Bronze – Alessandro De Rose (ITA)

Swimming | Women’s 200m Butterfly

Helena Bach will be aiming to join Jeanette Ottesen and Lotte Friis as Denmark’s third female world champion when she lines up in lane four this evening in the final of the Women’s 200m Butterfly. The 23 year-old finished seventh at Budapest 2022 and fifth at Fukuoka 2023, and was on the cusp of posting a career-best time in the semi finals.

The United States of America’s Rachel Klinker was also in career-best form in the semis, with the University of California athlete overwhelmed after her semi final last night – in part due to a quick turnaround between events. Hungarian pair Dalma Sebestyen and Boglarka Kapas will swim alongside each other tonight in another strong showing by the European nation, Kapas the Budapest 2019 world champion in this event.

Great Britain’s Laura Stephens, who was seventh last year, is seeded third, while the reigning world junior champion Lana Pudar will again bring the vocal crowd from Bosnia and Herzegovina in what will remarkably be her third world championships final in the 200m Butterfly despite being just eighteen.

Top Qualified:

• 2:07.45 – Helena Rosendahl Back (DEN)
• 2:07.70 – Rachel Klinker (USA)
• 2:07.97 – Laura Stephens (GBR)

Best Entry Times:

• 2:06.26 – Lana Pudar
• 2:06.62 – Laura Stephens
• 2:07.15 – Helena Rosendahl Bach

Fukuoka 2023:

• 2:04.06 – Gold: Summer McIntosh (CAN)
• 2:05.46 – Silver: Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS)
• 2:06.58 – Bronze: Regan Smith (USA)

Records:

• 2:01.81 – World: Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
• 2:03.41 – Championship: Jessicah Schipper (AUS), 2009

Swimming | Men’s 100m Freestyle

New world record holder Pan Zhanle was the fastest swimmer in last night’s semi finals clocking a comfortable 47.73. Pan became the headline story of the championships on night one of the pool swimming competition by breaking David Popovici’s world record in the 100m Freestyle. It was a result that shocked many in the swimming world, however as detailed in today’s World Aquatics feature story – the result was definitely not a flash in the pan.

Trying to bring down the new Chinese superstar tonight will be Italy’s Alessandro Miressi who has enjoyed repeated success as part of Italy’s 4 x 100m Freestyle relays but is still chasing his first individual medal at a World Aquatics Championships. Newly crowned Men’s 200m Freestyle world champion Hwang Sunwoo is seeded third while last year’s Men’s 200m Freestyle champion Matthew Richards also advanced.

Perennial finalist Nandor Nemeth has also earned another start in what will be his fourth straight appearance in the final of the Men’s 100m Freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships.

Top Qualified:

• 47.73 – Pan Zhanle (CHN)
• 47.88 – Alessandro Miressi (ITA)
• 47.93 – Hwang Sunwoo (KOR)

Best Entry Times:

• 47.45 – Matthew Richards
• 47.54 – Alessandro Miressi
• 47.60 – Pan Zhanle

Fukuoka 2023: 

• 47.15 – Gold: Kyle Chalmers (AUS)
• 47.31 – Silver: Jack Alexy (USA)
• 47.42 – Bronze: Maxime Grousset (FRA) 

Records:

• 46.80 – World: Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024
• 46.80 – Championship: Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024

Swimming | Women’s 50m Backstroke

Australia’s riches of backstroke talent shone through in yesterday’s semi finals as teenager Iona Anderson powered through as top seed with a personal best that stripped half a second off her previous best time. Nineteen-year-old Anderson went within 0.02 of the world junior record set by Minna Atherton back in 2016. The reigning world junior champion in this event and a silver medallist in the 100m Backstroke earlier in this meet, if Anderson keeps her composure tonight she is going to be difficult to beat.

Last year’s bronze medallist Lauren Cox advanced for tonight’s final while 100m Backstroke world champion Claire Curzan was also just off the pace. Tonight’s final will also feature Greek swimmer Theodora Drakou who was 9th in this event all the way back in 2011, and will this evening celebrates her eighth World Aquatics Championships with a second career final.

Top Qualified:

• 27.51 – Iona Anderson (AUS)
• 27.55 – Lauren Cox (GBR)
• 27.65 – Claire Curzan (USA)

Best Entry Times:

• 27.20 – Lauren Cox (GBR)
• 27.37 – Ingrid Wilm (CAN)
• 27.84 – Adela Piskorska (POL)

Fukuoka 2023: 

• 27.08 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
• 27.11 – Regan Smith (USA)
• 27.20 – Lauren Cox (GBR)

Records:

• 26.98 – World: Liu Xiang (CHN), 2018
• 27.06 – Championship: Zhao Jing (CHN), 2009