Welcome back as we come to you live from Duna Arena for Day 3 of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup (25m) in Budapest. Coming off the first two days where we saw nine World Records fall, what's in store for Day 3? Follow along and find out. We'll have the athlete responses, snapshots, and race revelations from the Hungarian capital.
Absolute Curtain Calling Crowd Pleaser |USA Sets World Record, Hometown Quartet Wins Hungarian Hearts
The Hungarian quartet had the Duna Arena crowd at its most furious frenzy of these Championships, holding the lead through two legs of the Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final. While Team USA turned to Katie Grimes time on the third leg to take the lead it wouldn't relinquish, the race was far from over.
The Americans turned to Claire Weinstein for a massive anchor leg. The 17-year-old was up to the challenge, mowing down the World Record and stopping the clock at 7:30.13.
Meanwhile, Hungary turned over the final leg duties to Lilla Minna Abraham in third place. Abraham dispatched a relay team of Neutral Athletes before becoming the hunted - with none other than Australia's five-time short course gold medallist Lani Pallister doing the hunting. With Hungary’s silver medal hopes hanging by a thread, Abraham dug deep, emptying the tank to secure silver, with Australia finishing close behind for bronze.
1. United States (Alex Walsh, Paige Madden, Katie Grimes, Claire Weinstein) - 7:30.13 World Record
2. Hungary (Nikolett Padar, Panna Ugrai, Dora Molnar, Lilla Minna Abraham) - 7:33.37
3. Australia (Leah Neale, Elizabeth Dekkers, Milla Jansen, Lani Pallister) - 7:33.60
Men's 400m Freestyle Final | Winnington Lives Up To His Last Name
Australia's Elijah Winnington bided his time for the first three-quarters of the Men's 400m Freestyle before living up to his last name to take gold. USA's Kieran Smith led all the splits through 350m, before bringing it home and tying for silver with teammate Carson Foster. Belgium's Lucas Pierre Henveaux kept it close, but missed the podium and his country's first medal at these Championships by 4/10ths.
Men's 100m IM Semifinals Round Up | Ponti Quickest in Championship Record Time
1. Noe Ponti (SUI) - 50.43 - Championship Record
2. Heiko Gigler (AUT) - 51.30
3. Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT) - 51.33
Full Results: Men's 100m IM Semifinals
Gretchen Walsh Sets Women's 100m IM World Record in the Semifinals!
The American's debut at the short course Worlds just keeps getting better as the 21-year-old sets another World Record in the Duna Arena pool. She again didn't wait until the gold medal finals to do so, striking in the semifinals. Again.
1. Gretchen Walsh (USA) - 55.71 - World Record
2. Kate Douglass (USA) - 56.88
3. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) - 57.19
Full Results: Women 100m IM Semifinals
Qin Haiyang Comes Back as China Owns 100m Breaststroke Event
Kiril Prigoda and event World Record-holder Ilya Shymanovich blasted off the blocks, but Qin Haiyang had the final say in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke Final, touching first by just 0.02 seconds. Prigoda claimed silver, with Shymanovich taking bronze.
1. Qin Haiyang (CHN) - 55.47 - Championship Record, Asia Record
2. Kiril Prigoda (NAB) - 55.49
3. Ilya Shymanovic (NAA) - 55.60
Women's 100m Breaststroke | Tang Rattles World Record, Comes Up Just .02 Short
Tang Qianting from China put the World Record on notice, hitting the midway mark .52 under the all-time global standard en route to coming home just 2/100ths off equalling the time set by Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) and Alia Atkinson (JAM). In addition to winning gold, Tang didn't come home empty-handed as she also earned another USD 10,000 for taking the coveted "Double Crown."
1. Tang Qianting (CHN) - 1:02.38
2. Lilly King (USA) - 1:02.80
3. Eneli Jefimova (EST) - 1:03.25
Men's 200m Butterfly |Ilya Kharun Caught, Comes Back to Win First Global Gold
Canada’s Ilya Kharun exploded off the blocks, staying under Tomoru Honda’s World Record pace at the 50m mark. Italy’s Alberto Razzetti surged ahead before the final turn, making a strong bid for the win. But in the last 25m, it was all Kharun as the Canadian stormed home to match the Championships Record held by Japan’s Daiya Seto.
“I am really happy that I finally got it. It’s just such an amazing feeling. It’s kind of funny that I actually tied the Championship Record. That was in the back kind of goal. If I did It, I got it, if I don’t, I don’t, but I am really glad I got it. I’ve got the 100 fly tomorrow and I have good thoughts for it. I’ll continue to show everyone what I’ve got.”
1.Ilya Kharun (CAN) - 1:48.24 - = Championship Record, European Record
2. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) - 1:48.64 - European Record
3. Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) - 1:49.26
Watch It One More Time | Summer McIntosh's World Record Swim
🇨🇦 Summer McIntosh 2 for 2 World Records at #AQUABudapest2024 😱 Will we see more? 😉 pic.twitter.com/zxAoXa4ddr
— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) December 12, 2024
Women's 200m Butterfly | Sensational Summer Sets World Record
Summer McIntosh goes sub-2! She hit the halfway mark 1.20 seconds under World Record pace and didn’t let up, finishing in 1:59.32 to break the Women’s 200m Butterfly World Record. She shaved 0.29 seconds off Mireia Belmonte’s mark from the 2014 Short Course Worlds in Doha. What a swim!
“I wouldn't say I do a ton of fly training, but I just have such a great ability to focus and all that. I do the on fly set and it really helps a lot back at any of my groups, because I can do a bunch of flies. So, yeah, it's definitely always on focus and I love flying in general, but I do a bunch of flies on my own.”
1. Summer McIntosh (CAN ) - 1:59.32 - World Record
2. Regan Smith (USA) - 2:01.00
3. Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS) - 2:02.91
Men's 50m Backstroke Semis |Lifintsev Fastest
1. Miroslav Lifintsev (NAB) - 22.70
2. Pavel Samusenko (NAB) - 22.72
3. Miroslav Knedla (CZE) - 22.74
Full Results: Men's 50m Backstroke Semifinals
Women's 50m Backstroke Semis | Berkoff Best
A backstroke bronze medallist in the Women's 100m Backstroke at the Short Course Worlds from Abu Dhabi 2021, Katharine Berkoff heads into the Finals earning the coveted Lane 4.
1. Katharine Berkoff (USA) - 25.51
2. Regan Smith (USA) - 25.66
3. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) - 25.81
Full Results: Women's 40m Backstroke Semifinals
Men's 100m Freestyle | Jack Alexy holds off Santos and Crooks, Gets USA Rolling with Two Golds to Start Night 3
A relay gold medallist at the World, Olympic, and World Junior Championships level, Jack Alexy adds his first individual gold medal in a tightly-contested Men's 100m Freestyle Final in Duna Arena.
1. Jack Alexy (USA) - 45.38
2. Guilherme Santos (BRA) - 45.47
3. Jordan Crooks (CAY) - 45.48
Women's 100m Freestyle | Gretchen Walsh Threatens World Record, Adds Another Worlds Gold and Championship Record
Ahead of World Record pace by .31 second at the midway mark and .15 second coming off the final turn, USA's Gretchen Walsh starts the night with another gold. That brings her tally up to three World titles (two individual and one relay) in her first turn at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m).
“I feel great about it, I was really close to the World Record, which hurts a little bit. It was a tight race, but I was racing well using my competitors.”
1. Gretchen Walsh (USA) - 50.31 - Championship Record
2. Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) - 50.64
3. Kate Douglass (USA) - 50.73
Summer McIntosh | The Canadian Maple Leaf's Athlete of the Year is Back in the Pool Tonight
Double Crowns?
You've Got Questions. We've Got Answers.
For the athletes who won their event across all three stops of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2024 (Shanghai, Incheon, Singapore), they won a bonus of USD 10,000.
Now, in Budapest, there is an extra double crown available at these Championships for the athletes that win that same event here, too. If they do, they will receive an additional 10,000 USD and be presented with it in the post-race interview.
USA's Regan Smith and Switzerland's Noe Ponti were the first two to cash in on and collect a double crown during the Day 2 finals (there were none on Day 1).
Here's who still has the chance to double down and earn another crown this week in the Hungarian capital:
Day 3
Women's 100m Breaststroke - Tang Qianting
Day 4
Women's 200m Breaststroke - Kate Douglass
Women's 100m IM - Kate Douglass
Day 5
Men's 100m Butterfly - Noe Ponti
Day 6
Women's 50m Freestyle - Katarzyna Wasick
Women's 50m Breaststroke - Tang Qianting
Men's 50m Breaststroke - Qin Haiyang
Women's 200m Backstroke - Regan Smith
Women's 200m Freestyle - Siobhan Haughey
Medal Events on Offer | Day 3 Edition
Here are the eight medal events on offer tonight:
- Women 100m Freestyle
- Men 100m Freestyle
- Women 200m Butterfly
- Men 200m Butterfly
- Women 100m Breaststroke
- Men 100m Breaststroke
- Men 400m Freestyle
- Women 4x200m Freestyle Relay
And there's some enticing semifinals action tonight as well:
- Women 50m Backstroke
- Men 50m Backstroke
- Women 100m Medley
- Men 100m Medley
World Record Counter: Currently Set at Nine
Can we hit double digits with World Records set in Duna Arena in the 25m pool? The all-time event record is 24 at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships - Doha 2024. In celebration of the final one set during Day2 of these Championships, we check in with Noe Ponti poolside
Where to Watch Guide
No matter where you are around the world, we've got you covered if you want to watch the competition action from the Hungarian capital with our handy viewer guide: Where to Watch | World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) - Budapest 2024
Daily Dose | About Last Night
If you haven't already, it might be time to check in with the commentary crew hosting About Last Night as they take you through the highlights from Day 2 in the Duna Arena and provide a preview for what's to come tonight in the pool.