2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
- Budapest, Hungary
- Duna Arena
- LCM (50-meter format)
- Full Aquatics Schedule
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- Day 2 Finals Live Recap
WOMEN’S 200 IM FINAL
- World Record: 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2015 World Championships
- Championship Record: 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2015 World Championships
- 2021 Olympic Champion: Yui Ohashi (JPN), 2:08.52
- 2019 World Champion: Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2:07.53
- Alex Walsh (USA) – 2:07.13
- Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2:08.57
- Leah Hayes (USA)- 2:08.91
- Rika Omoto (JPN) – 2:10.01
- Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 2:11.02
- Seoyeong Kim (KOR) – 2:11.30
- Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2:11.37
- Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 2:12.77
16-year-old Leah Hayes set a new World Junior Record in the 200 IM swimming a time of 2:08.91 in the finals of the 200 IM at the 2022 World Championships. She also earned a bronze medal in the process.
Hayes broke the World Junior Record previously held by Yiting Yu who swam a time of 2:09.57 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Hayes came into the meet with a best time of 2:09.99 which she swam at the 2022 US World Championship Trials back in April 2022. She then went a best time in prelims of the 200 IM at Worlds swimming a 2:09.81 breaking her own 15-16 National Age Group (NAG) Record. In semifinals, Hayes swam a time of 2:09.82 to be seeded second heading into finals.
| Hayes Finals | Hayes Prelims | Hayes April 2022 | Old WJR- Yu | |
| Fly | 28.16 | 28.34 | 28.21 | 27.22 |
| Back | 32.56 | 33.05 | 33.05 | 33.2 |
| Breast | 37.39 | 37.44 | 37.63 | 37.94 |
| Free | 30.8 | 30.98 | 31.1 | 31.21 |
| Total | 2:08.91 | 2:09.81 | 2:09.99 | 2:09.57 |
Notably, Hayes was consistently faster on all four of her 50-stroke splits than she had been previously. The biggest difference was her 50 backstroke which was 0.49 seconds faster than she had been in both prelims at Worlds and in finals in April.
Hayes’s swim also re-breaks her own 15-16 NAG record. Hayes now becomes the fastest American 18 and under as well. Previously, tonight’s gold medalist Alex Walsh held the fastest American 18 and under time as she swam a 2:09.01 at age 18. Tonight’s swim also makes Hayes the youngest American under the 2:09 mark.
Overall, Hayes now moves up from 13th in the US all-time to number eight.
Such a fantastic kid too! So proud to have her representing the US and Illinois Swimming!
It’s seems rare to see an elite IMer whose weakest stroke appears to be fly. It guarantees you will spend the whole race playing catch up, but she seems to have found a way to make it work. Can’t wait to see how continues to progress. (The fact is she from the Fox River Valley is just icing on the cake!)
I feel like Olympic 400 IM
Champions Alex Baumman, Janet Evans, and a few others all had fly as their fourth best stroke. So I’m not sure how rare it is?
Ye shewin fly I felt like was her week stroke
Alex Walsh better watch out .. her own teammate could usurp her position in a year or two
hope she commits to UVA!
What a trajectory! Administrative note: Time for SwimSwam to have a picture of Leah to include in your “In This Story” section. She’s here to stay!
Put Leah Hayes on that 4×200 relat
Summer is coming for that recorded…but we celebrate you
Torri Huske
Claire Curzan
Alex Walsh
Gretchen Walsh
Katherine Berkoff
Kate Douglass
Leah Hayes
Katie Grimes
Regan Smith
Emma Weyant
Kelly Pash
Erica Sullivan
Lydia Jacoby
(Apologies for no doubt missing some more names just from the top of my head here.)
All of the above will all be at the peaks of their swimming careers in 2024. Might be a wildest wild prediction, but USA women in Paris 2024 could be the greatest Olympic team ever for me or women in the sport of swimming. My bet is it will be.
The best team ever that can’t even win all 3 relays?! No thank you
leah hayes might have her peak at la 2028
I feel the 1992 Team will always be the greatest women’s team. Studs