The United States was on fire on Friday night in Budapest at the 2024 World Swimming Championships (25m).
Mixed 4x50m Freestyle - Italians Win Gold off Clutch Legs from Di Pietro and Curtis
The Italians won their first gold medal of the 2024 World Swimming Championships (25m) in the mixed freestyle relay with the team of Leonardo Deplano (20.80), Alessandro Miressi (21.01), Silvia di Pietro (23.35), and Sara Curtis (23.34), winning gold at 1:28.50.
“I am over the moon because of the gold medal and that I was happy with the way I swam,” Curtis said. “I still had energy from the gold medal and the ceremony and I didn't even feel the fatigue.”
It was a thrilling race with Canada winning the silver medal at 1:28.60 with the team of Ilya Kharun (20.80), Yuri Kisil (20.57), Ingrid Wilm (23.72), and Mary-Sophie Harvey (23.51) after their men led at the halfway point. Canada won its tenth medal overall with the silver here.
Poland collected its fourth medal with the bronze here at 1:28.80 with the team of Piotr Ludwiczak (21.31), Kamil Szieradzki (20.89), Kornelia Fiedkiewicz (23.70), and Kasia Wasick (22.90), as the team finiished just ahead of the Neutral Athletes (1:28.95).
The Netherlands finished fifth overall at 1:29.86 ahead of Slovakia (1:30.36), Hong Kong, China (1:30.40), and Norway (1:30.97).
Shockingly, the United States did not advance to the final after this morning, potentially leaving a gold medal and world record on the table.
Women’s 200m Breaststroke - Kate Douglass Collects the Lot in New World Record
23-year-old Kate Douglass of the United States dominated the field in the 200m breaststroke as it was a heavily hyped race with long course world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova in the mix.
Douglass showed no signs of nervousness, taking the lead from the front and never relinquishing it as she cashed in on a new world record at 2:12.50, lowering her own record of 2:12.72 set last month.
“I'm really glad I got this one!” Douglass said. “You just never know how things are going to go. I'd like to keep going forward and do a lot of races! But yeah, I just wanted to give it all!”
Douglass took two seconds off the original world record from Rebecca Soni (2:14.57) set back in 2009 as she successfully defended her gold from Melbourne 2022. This is the fourth straight World Short Course Championships in which an American has won this event.
Chikunova hardly stood a chance, winning the silver at 2:15.14, matching her swim from Abu Dhabi 2021.
The bronze went to American Alex Walsh (2:16.83), who added to her silver in the 200m IM behind Douglass as she held off a hard charging Alina Zmushka (2:17.30) for the bronze.
South Africa’s Rebecca Meder (2:18.26), Czechia’s Kristyna Horska (2:18.31), Denmark’s Clara Rybak-Andersen (2:18.73), and Great Britain’s Angharad Evans (2:18.77) also competed in the championship final.
Men’s 200m breaststroke - Carles Coll Marti Beats the World Record Holder
Spain’s Carles Coll Marti celebrated his country’s first men’s gold medalist at the World Short Course Championships and the first for anyone since Doha 2014 as he won the 200m breaststroke final at 2:01.55 to move to eighth all-time.
“I don't have words right now,” Coll Marti said. “It was my dream since I was a little kid to say that I am a world champion, it doesn't feel real.
“I have been training so hard since I got back in the water. After the olympic games I was a little bit upset with how the season went and I thought I needed to do things differently.
“Now I am starting to get the fruits of the trees that I have been planting for myself. For spanish swimming, it's really important for Spain. We have incredible swimmers like Hugo Gonzalez. A lot of kids now are going to want to become swimmers and aspire to be gold medalist and that's really healthy for Spanish swimming.”
Coll Marti dethroned the world record holder Kirill Prigoda (2:01.88) for the gold medal as Prigoda set that mark six years ago at Hangzhou 2018.
Japan’s Yamato Fukasawa (2:02.01) won the nation’s first medal of the championships with the bronze here as he moved to 18th all-time.
It was a thrilling race that came down to the wire as Aleksandr Zhigalov (2:02.12) and Caspar Corbeau (2:02.44) finished fourth and fifth and off the podium.
AJ Pouch (2:02.84), Joshua Yong (2:03.21) and Ilya Shymanovich (2:03.49) also swam in the championship final.
Women’s 50m Backstroke - Regan Smith Kicks Way to World Record to Hold All Three
American Regan Smith showed off her backstroke prowess on Friday night in Budapest with a new world record in the 50m backstroke, lowering Maggie Mac Neil’s 25.25 from Melbourne 2022 to swim 25.23 to hold all three backstroke world records simultaneously.
“I didn't think I was capable of a 25.2 tonight,” Smith said.
Smith is the first American to hold the world record in this event since Haley Cope set the mark in 2000 and held it for one year. Smith is also the third American to win this at the World Short Course Championships after Cope won in Indianapolis 2004 and Olivia Smoliga won in Hangzhou 2018.
“It was a very, very pleasant surprise,” Smith said. “I didn’t hit my turn great either, so I pushed off the 25m wall thinking it was not the best turn I ever had. That reaction when I finished was genuine, it all worked out, thank goodness, it's all good.”
Smith went 1-2 with fellow American Katharine Berkoff (25.61) with Canada’s Kylie Masse (25.78) winning the bronze.
“In a 50m race when I think too much about details then I get too much in my head; I try to clear my mind and going, just to be with the field especially with Katherine bc she's such a great sprinter,” Smith said.
“I need to think about my own race and going to be with the field. I was trying not to overthink it because that's what i have done in the past, I think about details but not overthink it.”
Canada’s Ingrid Wilm (25.88) finished off the podium in fourth ahead of France’s Analia Pigree (25.94).
Italy’s Sara Curtis (26.26), who just got out of a medal ceremony before this, finished sixth, ahead of Maaike de Waard (26.28) and 2023 World Junior champion Iona Anderson (26.31).
Men’s 50m Backstroke - Miron Lifintsev Doubles Up with Backstroke Sprints
Miron Lifintsev of the Neutral Athletes matched his gold from the 100m backstroke with a gold in the 50m at 22.47, taking the world junior record with him, which belonged to Isaac Cooper at 22.52 from two years ago.
Cooper won silver here at 22.49, lowering the Oceania record as he matched his silver from Melbourne 2022.
“I’m pretty happy with the time, an official PB,” Cooper said. “I have done 0.01 faster before, but that was not in an official race. Miron swam a new (junior) world record, that’s pretty impressive. It’s my eighth race now, so I am happy I’ve been able to back up. I have the 50 freestyle tomorrow and some relays maybe.”
Ireland’s Shane Ryan (22.56) grabbed the bronze from lane eight over Hungary’s Hubert Kos (22.64) from lane one as it was anybody’s race to get onto the podium.
Poland’s Kacper Stokowski (22.68) finished fifth ahead of Pavel Samusenko (22.74), Czechia’s Miroslav Knedla (22.89) and Switzerland’s Thierry Bollin (22.97).
Women’s 100m IM - Gretchen Walsh Demolishes World Record Once More
American Gretchen Walsh broke her sixth world record of the week with a 55.11 in the 100m IM, taking this event to unchartered territories. Walsh lowered her own record once more, taking six tenths off her 55.71 from last night as the record started this year at 56.51 set by Katinka Hosszu in 2017.
“It's definitely been a nice payday tonight,” Walsh said. “I just think it was a lot of hard work culminating in one week
“It was just a matter of time for me with this being my first ever short course meters competition on a stage like this. There has been a lot of hard work that has gone into this. I am really thrilled with myself and the times that I have put up.”
Walsh used her powerful dolphin kicks to swim away from teammate Kate Douglass (56.49), who won her second medal of the night after gold in the 200m breaststroke.
Douglass finished ahead of France’s Beryl Gastaldello (56.67), who won her third medal of the week.
Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey (57.04) finished fourth overall ahead of Tessa Giele (57.69) of the Netherlands and South Africa’s Rebecca Meder (58.10).
Bulgaria’s Diana Petkova (58.73) and Canada’s Sydney Pickrem (59.07) also swam in the championship final.
Men’s 100m IM - Noe Ponti Uses Strong Free Leg to Win Gold
Switzerland’s Noe Ponti broke the championship record in winning the 100m IM gold medal at 50.33, lowering his 50.43 from last night as his last freestyle turn propelled him to the win just minutes after the 100m butterfly semi-final.
“It was important after the 100 fly no matter how it went to try to forget about it and to try to get back into the 100 IM and to do my best,” Ponti said.
“The last 25 freestyle was amazing I think, I'm super happy. It was the second world title for me in a week and the second world title for Switzerland.
“I wish I could swim Gretchen Walsh's program.”
Ponti finished ahead of Austria’s Bernhard Reitshammer (51.11) and Brazil’s Caio Pumputis (51.35) as they ran down American Michael Andrew (51.37), who couldn’t match his gold from Windsor 2016.
200m breaststroke champion Carles Coll Marti finished fifth overall a 51.52 ahead of Austria’s Heiko Gigler (51.67), Turkiye’s Berke Saka (51.82) and Czechia’s Miroslav Knedla (51.90).
Women’s 1500m Freestyle - Isabel Gose Wins in Convincing Fashion
Germany’s Isabel Gose claimed her first gold medal on the world stage with a 15:24.69 in the 1500m freestyle final, lowering her best time to move to seventh all-time.
“It’s my first individual world title and I am really happy about how the week went and about my performances. I'm always happy to race with these girls,” Gose said
“2024 has been a special year for me, with my first Olympic medal and now my first world title. I am really proud of myself.”
Gose grabbed the lead at 150 meters and never relinquished it as she finished ahead of longtime rival Simona Quadarella (15:30.14), who also lowered her best time in finishing with the silver.
The bronze went the way of American Jillian Cox (15:41.29), who swam in an earlier heat.
It was an exciting virtual race as Cox won bronze over Olympic silver medalist Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (15:43.33) of France, and Tiana Kritzinger (15:44.44) of Australia.
Australia’s Moesha Johnson (15:45.07) finished sixth from an earlier heat as well, while Great Britain’s Amelie Blocksidge (15:47.28) and Brazil’s Beatriz Dizotti (15:49.09) rounded out the top eight.
Men’s 4x200m freestyle - Luke Hobson Smashes Biedermann’s World Record, United States Takes Nearly Four Seconds Off World Record
Well, the day finally came - one of Paul Biedermann’s 2009 world records has fallen. On Friday, Luke Hobson (1:38.91) of the United States led off the 4x200m freestyle relay team to the fastest time ever in the individual 200m freestyle, becoming the first American to hold the record.
Hobson, age 21, took down Biedermann’s 1:39.37 from 2009 as he paved the way for the United States to demolish the record the team set in Melbourne 2022.
“On these relays I like getting these boys out as far ahead as possible,” Hobson said. “I think I did a good job today. I was super happy to lead off under the world record and I am super proud of these guys we crushed this world record.”
The team of Hobson (1:38.91), Carson Foster (1:40.77), Shaine Casas (1:40.34), and Kieran Smith (1:40.49) swam 6:40.51 to demolish the record they set two years ago at 6:44.12.
“I knew going into it that Luke was going to challenge that world record,” Foster said. “To see Luke swim the first three 50's and he was under it and I said, it's going down!
“I'm glad to jump in and do my job on the second leg and set these guys up to close it hard.
“I remember we said in 2022 that the world record was never going down, And we just broke it by four seconds.”
It was hardly a race as Australia finished second at 6:45.54 with the team of Max Giuliani (1:40.73), Edward Sommerville (1:41.03), Harrison Turner (1:42.21), and Elijah Winnington (1:41.57).
The relay medalists matched the medalists from Melbourne two years ago as Italy finished with the bronze at 6:47.51 with the team of Filippo Megli (1:42.26), Manuel Frigo (1:42.15), Carlos D’Ambrosio (1:41.48), and Alberto Razzetti (1:41.62).
The quickest splits outside the top three came from Germany’s Rafael Miroslaw (1:41.25), Germany’s Timo Sorgius (1:41.87), Roman Akimov (1:42.29) of the Neutral Athletes, and Germany’s Kaii Winkler (1:42.32).
Germany finished fourth at 6:50.43 ahead of Spain (6:52.74), the Neutral Athletes (6:53.89), China (6:54.56), and Japan (7:07.90).
Semis Wrap
Women’s 100m Butterfly
Gretchen Walsh continues to do the unthinkable, taking the 100m butterfly world record into the great beyond as she swam 52.87 in Friday’s semi-finals. The world record at the start of the day was 54.05 by Maggie Mac Neil and is now in the 52 range with Walsh having one more opportunity tomorrow to swim even faster.
Walsh is head and shoulders above the rest of the field with Sweden’s Louise Hansson (55.03) sitting in second as she won silver in Abu Dhabi 2021 and bronze in Melbourne 2022.
Ireland’s Ellen Walshe, no relation, is seeded third at 55.50 ahead of Australia’s Alexandria Perkins (55.57) and Japan’s Mizuki Hirai (55.68).
Australia’s Lily Price (55.74), Tessa Giele (55.80) of the Netherlands, and Daria Klepikova (56.12) of the Neutral Athletes also advanced to the final.
Men’s 100m Butterfly
Switzerland’s Noe Ponti got the job done in the 100m butterfly semis with the fastest time at 48.89 ahead of France’s Maxime Grousset (48.99) and Australia’s Matthew Temple (49.01). Ponti jetted away from the pool to get to the 100m IM final later in the session as he leads the 100m butterfly field separated by 0.40.
Italy’s Michele Busa (49.11) is seeded fourth ahead of USA’s Dare Rose (49.14) and Andrei Minakov (49.19) of the Neutral Athletes.
Italy’s Simone Stefani’ (49.28) and Austria’s Simon Bucher (49.29) also advanced to the final. Notably, Canada’s Ilya Kharun, the defending silver medalist in this event, did not advance to the final as he finished tenth at 49.39 ahead of defending champion Chad Le Clos (49.41).
Contributing: Gregory Eggert