Whereas yesterday the battle for the top swimming medal count in Kazan was between Great Britain and the U.S., today’s totals bring on a new contender in the quest for most golds on the meet. China went on an absolute tear on day 5 of the World Championships, clinching two golds and four bronzes by the end of the finals session.
The highlight of the haul was perhaps Chinese sprinter Ning Zetao‘s gold medal-winning 100m freestyle. His 47.84 topped the field, including Australian Cameron McEvoy and American Nathan Adrian, but also marked the first time a Chinese man ever won the 100m freestyle event at a World Championships.
His countrymate, Fu Yuanhui kept the momentum going by winning the top prize in the women’s 50m backstroke event, a race which also saw Chinese backstroker Lix Xiang claim bronze. Bronze medals were also to be had by men’s 200m IM swimmer Wang Shun, women’s 200m butterflier Zhang Yufei, as well as the Chinese women’s 4×200 freestyle relay.
Japan earned its first gold medal of these championships via Natsumi Hoshi‘s 200m butterfly win to put them up on the board in that column.
And, the United States saw a historic gold by Ryan Lochte, as he claimed his fourth consecutive World Championships gold medal in the men’s 200m IM.
Swimming Medal Table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States |
5 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| 2 |  China |
4 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| 3 |  Great Britain |
4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 |  Australia |
3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 |  France |
2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 |  Hungary |
2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 7 |  Japan |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Russia* |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 9 |  Sweden |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |  Italy |
0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Total Medal Table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China |
14 | 10 | 8 | 32 |
| 2 | United States |
9 | 6 | 5 | 20 |
| 3 | Russia |
9 | 4 | 2 | 15 |
| 4 | Great Britain |
6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 5 | Australia |
3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 6 | France |
3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | Italy |
2 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
| 8 | Hungary |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 9 |  Brazil |
1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 10 |  South Africa |
1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
For recognition of her talent, US swimming on Kazan should rename itself as Ledecky and friends..