2022 World Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
• Budapest, Hungary
• Duna Arena
• LCM (50-meter format)
• Full Aquatics Schedule
• How To Watch
• Psych Sheets
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Day 4 Finals Heat Sheets

Medals will be on the line in five events during the fourth night of finals from the 2022 World Championships, headlined by the men’s 200 butterfly where Hungarian Kristof Milak has the opportunity to do something special while competing in front of his home crowd.

Milak has been dominant in the event for the last three years, spearheaded by his obliteration of the world record at the last World Championships three years ago, and he’s clearly eyeing that mark of 1:50.73 in tonight’s final.

We’ve also got a clash of the titans in the men’s 800 free, the men’s 50 breast where Italian Nicolo Martinenghi will seek his second individual title of the competition, and a wide open race in the women’s 200 free where the eight finalists were separated by just 82 one-hundredths of a second in the semis.

The night will then close with the mixed medley relay, where the Americans are favored, but how they construct their lineup will be crucial after it cost them a spot on the podium at the Olympics.

Semi-finals on tap will be the men’s 100 free, women’s 50 back, women’s 200 fly, and men’s 200 IM. Read a full preview of the session here.

Caeleb Dressel, the two-time defending champion, was a surprising last-minute scratch from the men’s 100 free semis. USA Swimming confirmed the decision was made “on medical grounds,” and his participation moving forward is still to be determined.

DAY 4 LINKS

• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 4 Finals Preview
• Day 4 Finals Heat Sheets

SWIMSWAM WATCH PARTY

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang (CHN), 2009
• Championships Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang (CHN), 2009
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Bobby Finke (USA) – 7:41.87
• 2019 World Champion: Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 7:39.27

1. Bobby Finke (USA), 7:39.36 AR
2. Florian Wellbrock (GER), 7:39.63
3. Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR), 7:40.05
4. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 7:41.19
5. Guilherme Costa (BRA), 7:45.48
6. Gabriele Detti (ITA), 7:47.75
7. Damien Joly (FRA), 7:48.10
8. Daniel Wiffen (IRL), 7:50.63

Bobby did it again.

In the same fashion that he won double Olympic gold last summer in the men’s 800 and 1500 free, American Bobby Finke used a scorching-fast closing 50 to claim gold in the men’s 800 freestyle at the 2022 World Championships.

Finke sat back in fourth for the majority of the race, including at the final turn, but turned on the jets coming home with a blistering split of 25.93 to overtake the European trio of Florian Wellbrock, Mykhailo Romanchuk and Gregorio Paltrinieri to win his first career world title in 7:39.36.

The time is a new American Record for Finke, who blows by his previous mark of 7:41.87 set at last summer’s Olympic Games. He also becomes the first American male to win the 800 free at the World Championships and is the eighth swimmer sub-7:40 in the event (including Wellbrock finishing behind him).

Romanchuk gave it a gallant effort, making a big move midway through the race to open up a gap on Wellbrock, Paltrinieri and Finke. However, the trio eventually caught him, and coming down the last lap it was a mad dash to determine the medals.

While Finke powered away to the win, Wellbrock showed some good closing speed (26.82) to snag the silver in 7:39.63, joining Finke by breaking 7:40 for the first time. The time breaks his previous German Record of 7:41.77, set in the Tokyo prelims.

Romanchuk, who has a lot of people rooting for him as he’s from Ukraine and was considering retirement after the Russian invasion, ended up with the bronze, breaking his National Record by more than a second in 7:40.05.

Paltrinieri fell to fourth in 7:41.19, marking the first time an Italian swimmer misses the podium, while Guilherme Costa, who made an early push from Lane 1, breaks his South American and Brazilian Record in 7:45.48 for fifth.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini – 2009 World Championships
• Championships Record: 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini – 2009
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 1:53.50
• 2019 World Champion: Federica Pellegrini (ITA), 1:54.22

1. Yang Junxuan (CHN), 1:54.92
2. Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 1:55.22
3. Tang Muhan (CHN), 1:56.25
4. Freya Anderson (GBR), 1:56.61
5. Madi Wilson (AUS), 1:56.85
6. Charlotte Bonnet (FRA) / Taylor Ruck (CAN), 1:57.24
7. –
8. Isabel Gose (GER), 1:57.38

Yang Junxuan claims China’s first-ever title in the women’s 200 freestyle, edging out Australian Mollie O’Callaghan for the gold medal in a time of 1:54.92.

Yang, 20, was fourth in this event at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but set a best time and National Record of 1:54.37 leading off China’s world record-breaking 800 free relay at the same competition.

O’Callaghan, 18, wins her first individual medal at the World Championships after touching in 1:55.22 for silver, having set a PB of 1:54.94 last month at the Australian Championships.

Rounding out the young podium was China’s Tang Muhan, who is also 18.

Tang, who was swimming out in Lane 8 but had the fastest PB of anyone in the final at 1:54.26, pulled out the bronze in 1:56.25, while the top seed coming out of the semis, Freya Anderson, placed fourth in 1:56.61 after hitting a best of 1:56.05 last night.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: 46.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 2009 World Championships
• Championship Record: 46.91, Cesar Cesar (BRA) – 2009 World Championships
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Caeleb Dressel (USA), 47.02
• 2019 World Champion: Caeleb Dressel (USA), 46.96

Finals Qualifiers:

1. David Popovici (ROU), 47.13 WJR
2. Maxime Grousset (FRA), 47.54
3. Josh Liendo (CAN), 47.55
4. Lewis Burras (GBR), 47.63
5. Pan Zhanle (CHN), 47.65
6. Alessandro Miressi (ITA), 47.89
7. Brooks Curry (USA), 47.90
8. Nandor Nemeth (HUN) / Lorenzo Zazzeri (ITA), 47.96*

*swim-off required

David Popovici continues to make it look easy.

The Romanian stud dropped a personal best time and new World Junior Record in the semi-finals of the men’s 100 freestyle, clocking 47.13 to become the ninth-fastest swimmer in history.

Popovici was home in a sizzling 24.32.

The 17-year-old set his previous best time of 47.30 at the 2021 European Junior Championships in Rome. He was seventh in this event at the Olympics last year, but won a decisive gold medal last night in the men’s 200 free.

Touching behind Popovici in the second semi-final was Canadian Josh Liendo, who broke 48 seconds for the first time–and by a significant margin. The 19-year-old registered a time of 47.55 to qualify third into the final, crushing his previous best of 48.13.

Frenchman Maxime Grousset neared his lifetime best in the first semi, touching first in 47.54 to ultimately advance second overall. Grousset set a PB of 47.52 at the Olympics in 2021.

Qualifying fourth, Great Britain’s Lewis Burras set a new National Record in a time of 47.63, obliterating Duncan Scott‘s British mark of 47.87. In fifth, China’s Pan Zhanle matched the Chinese Record in 47.65.

Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth and Italy’s Lorenzo Zazzeri tied for eighth in 47.96, meaning a swim-off will be required to determine the last finalist for tomorrow night.

In what was an extremely quick semi, Andrej Barna‘s showing of 47.97 was only good for 10th overall. At the Tokyo Olympics, Barna clocked 47.94 in the semis and also just missed out on the final in ninth.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: 26.98, Liu Xiang (CHN) – 2018 Asian Games
• Championship Record: 27.06, Zhao Jing (CHN) – 2009 World Championships
• 2019 World Champion: Olivia Smoliga (USA), 27.33

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Kylie Masse (CAN), 27.22
2. Regan Smith (USA) / Analia Pigree (FRA), 27.29
3. –
4. Ingrid Wilm (CAN), 27.39
5. Katharine Berkoff (USA), 27.40
6. Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 27.58
7. Kira Toussaint (NED), 27.69
8. Medi Harris (GBR) / Silvia Scalia (ITA), 27.72*

*swim-off required

Kylie Masse claims the top seed for tomorrow night’s final in the women’s 50 backstroke, taking the second semi in a time of 27.22 to near her Canadian Record of 27.18.

Analia Pigree took second in the heat in 27.29, chopping a tenth off her French National Record and matching American Regan Smith‘s winning time from the first semi.

Masse’s teammate Ingrid Wilm makes it two Canadians in the final, hitting abest of 27.39 for foruth, while there will also be two Americans as Katharine Berkoff sits fifth in 27.40. Berkoff is the fastest swimmer in the world this year with her 27.12 from U.S. Trials in April.

Australian star Kaylee McKeown moves through sixth in 27.58, while we’ll see another swim-off here as Great Britain’s Medi Harris and Italy’s Silvia Scalia tied for eighth overall in 27.72.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 1:50.73, Kristof Milak (HUN) – 2019 World Championships
• Championships Record: 1:50.73, Kristof Milak (HUN) – 2019
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:51.25
• 2019 World Champion: Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:50.73

1. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:50.34 WR
2. Leon Marchand (FRA), 1:53.37
3. Tomoru Honda (JPN), 1:53.61
4. Noe Ponti (SUI), 1:54.29
5. Luca Urlando (USA), 1:54.92
6. Tamas Kenderesi (HUN), 1:55.20
7. Alberto Razzetti (ITA), 1:55.52
8. James Guy (GBR), 1:55.54

Kristof Milak brought the home crowd to its feat with an unbelievable performance in the men’s 200 butterfly, breaking his world record and winning Hungary’s first gold of the competition.

Milak finished in a time of 1:50.34, breaking his 2019 mark of 1:50.73 and putting himself more than a second clear of anyone else in history. The only other swimmer to break 1:52 is Michael Phelps, who was 1:51.51 in 2009.

Milak’s Splits

• 24.19
• 51.89 (27.70)
• 1:20.51 (28.62)
• 1:50.34 (29.83)

Milak now owns eight of the 12-fastest times in history.

All-Time Performances, Men’s 200 Butterfly (LCM)

1. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:50.34 – 2022
2. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:50.73 – 2019
3. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:51.10 – 2021
4. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:51.25 – 2021
5. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:51.40 – 2021
6. Michael Phelps (USA), 1:51.51 – 2009
7. Michael Phelps (USA), 1:52.03 – 2008
8. Michael Phelps (USA), 1:52.09 – 2007
9. Michael Phelps (USA), 1:52.20 – 2008
10. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:52.22 – 2021
11. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:52.39 – 2022
12. Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:52.50 – 2021

As mentioned on one of the broadcasts, the majority of Milak’s swim was reminiscent of Phelps’ record-breaking swim at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, where he obliterated the world record of 1:53.71 in 1:52.09.

Milak went out like a man possessed over the first 100 meters, splitting 51.89 at the halfway mark, and then found himself more than a second under world record pace at the 150 in 1:20.51.

Although the world record line was catching him in the closing stages, the 22-year-old Hungarian held tough and got his hands on the wall to take out the record by nearly four-tenths and win gold by over three seconds.

In a heated battle for second, Leon Marchand was back in seventh at the 100-meter wall but moved his way through the field to earn silver in 1:53.37, breaking the French Record of 1:54.32 he set in the semis. Marchand, who wins his second individual medal in as many events here in Budapest, came back faster than Milak in 29.71.

Japan’s Tomoru Honda, the runner-up to Milak at the Olympics last year, was hanging back with Marchand at the halfway mark, sitting eighth in 54.37, but kept his closing 50s sub-30 to claim bronze in 1:53.61, inching out his previous best of 1:53.73.

Swiss swimmer Noe Ponti was nine one-hundredths shy of the National Record he set in the semis, clocking 1:54.29 for fourth.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2017 World Championships
• Championships Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2017
• 2019 World Champion: Adam Peaty (GBR), 26.06

1. Nic Fink (USA), 26.45
2. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 26.48
3. Michael Andrew (USA), 26.72
4. Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT), 26.94
5. Simone Cerasuolo (ITA), 26.98
6. Lucas Matzerath (GER), 27.10
7. Yan Zibei (CHN), 27.18
8. Felipe Franca Silva (BRA), 27.42

Nic Fink becomes the first American to win the World Championship title in the men’s 50 breaststroke, out-touching Italian Nicolo Martinenghi for the victory in a time of 26.45.

Fink lowers the American Record of 26.52, set by Michael Andrew two months ago, and moves up into #5 on the all-time performers’ list. Fink set his previous best time alongside Andrew at the U.S. Trials in April at 26.55.

Martinenghi, the winner of the 100 breast on Sunday, was a close second in 26.48, just three one-hundredths back, while Andrew claimed his second bronze medal of the competition in 26.72.

Martinenghi ranks as the third-fastest swimmer in history with his personal best of 26.39 set in late March.

Austrian Bernhard Reitshammer set a new National Record to take fourth in 26.94, cracking 27 seconds for the first time in his career. Reitshammer also lowered the Austrian mark in the heats (27.12) and semis (27.11).

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: 2:01.81, Liu Zige (CHN) – 2009 Chinese National Games
• Championship Record: 2:03.41, Jess Jess (AUS) – 2009 World Championships
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Zhang Yufei (CHN), 2:03.86
• 2019 World Champion: Boglarka Kapas (HUN), 2:06.78

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2:05.79 WJR
2. Hali Flickinger (USA), 2:05.90
3. Regan Smith (USA), 2:07.13
4. Lana Pudar (BIH), 2:07.58
5. Zhang Yufei (CHN), 2:07.76
6. Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS), 2:07.77
7. Helena Bach (DEN), 2:07.82
8. Boglarka Kapas (HUN), 2:07.89

The 15-year-old Canadian star Summer McIntosh continued her strong showing in Budapest by pulling away from American Regan Smith and winning the second semi of the women’s 200 butterfly, qualifying first into the final and setting a pair of records in the process.

McIntosh, who was one of two swimmers in the field out sub-1:00 at the 100 in 59.94, finished in a time of 2:05.79 to break her Canadian Record of 2:05.81 and the *official* World Junior Record of 2:06.29. That mark previously belonged to Japan’s Suzuka Hasegawa, though McIntosh’s 2:05.81 was the previous fastest by a junior-aged swimmer, but was just unratified.

Smith, swimming her second race of the session, was right alongside McIntosh coming off the final turn but trailed off in the closing meters, still touching second in 2:07.13 to advance third into the final.

Smith’s American teammate Hali Flickinger comfortably won the first semi in 2:05.90, moving through to tomorrow night ranked second overall.

Smith and Flickinger won silver and bronze, respectively, in this event at last summer’s Olympics, with China’s Zhang Yufei winning gold.

Zhang hasn’t been at her best here in Budapest, and got out to a fast start in the first semi with a 59.63 opening 100 before fading and ultimately taking third in the first semi in 2:07.76. That time still qualifies her fifth for the final, trailing McIntosh, Flickinger, Smith and Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Lana Pudar (2:07.58).

Pudar, 16, sets a new National Record by a wide margin, having previously been 2:09.59 last year.

Overall it took 2:07.89 to make the final here, which is more than a second faster than both the Tokyo Olympics (2:09.07) and 2019 World Championships (2:09.06).

MEN’S 200 IM – SEMI-FINAL

• World Record: 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (USA) – 2011 World Championships
• Championship Record: 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (USA) – 2011 World Championships
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Wang Shun (CHN), 1:55.00
• 2019 World Champion:  Daiya Seto (JPN), 1:56.14

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Leon Marchand (FRA), 1:55.75
2. Carson Foster (USA), 1:56.44
3. Daiya Seto (JPN), 1:56.74
4. Chase Kalisz (USA), 1:56.76
5. Hubert Kos (HUN), 1:57.23
6. Tom Dean (GBR), 1:57.38
7. Lewis Clareburt (NZL), 1:57.63
8. Matt Sates (RSA), 1:57.74

Leon Marchand executed one of the most difficult doubles you can imagine flawlessly, following up a silver medal and French Record in the 200 fly final by claiming the top seed and setting another National Record in the semis of the men’s 200 IM.

In the second semi-final, American Carson Foster opened up a big lead at the halfway mark, turning .01 under world record pace in 53.47, but then Marchand blew by him on breaststroke, spltting a scorching 32.61 to mark the only swimmer in the field sub-33.

Marchand put it on cruise control coming home, finishing in 1:55.75 for the top seed by nearly three quarters of a second as he crushes his French Record of 1:56.95 set earlier this year.

Foster set a personal best of 1:56.44 to take second overall, while defending champion Daiya Seto won a close battle in the first semi to advance third in 1:56.74. 2017 champion Chase Kalisz was just .02 back in 1:56.76 for fourth.

Lewis Clareburt, who had COVID-19 shortly before the competition, had a good swim to take seventh in 1:57.63, while South Africa’s Matt Sates, also dealing with an illness pre-meet, advances eighth in 1:57.74.

Last year’s Olympic champion Wang Shun had a disastrous swim and finished 16th in 2:01.35.

MIXED 400 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: 3:37.58, Great Britain – 2021 Tokyo Olympics
• Championship Record: 3:38.56, United States – 2017 World Championships
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Great Britain, 3:37.58
• 2019 World Champion: Australia, 3:39.08

1. United States, 3:38.79
2. Australia, 3:41.34
3. Netherlands, 3:41.54
4. Great Britain, 3:41.65
5. Italy, 3:41.67
6. China, 3:43.55
7. Japan, 3:45.28
8. Germany, 3:46.64

The United States rolled to a decisive victory in the mixed 400 medley relay, holding a slight lead over the Italians at the halfway mark before pulling away on the back-half and touching first by over two and a half seconds.

Hunter Armstrong led off in 52.14, nipping newly-minted 100 back world record holder Thomas Ceccon (52.26) of Italy, and then Nic Fink produced a blistering 57.86 to out-split Italy’s individual 100 breast champion Nicolo Martinenghi (57.93).

That put the U.S. up by two-tenths on Italy at the 200, and then women’s 100 fly winner Torri Huske put the lead out of reach by splitting 56.17. Though well off her individual swim of 55.64, Huske handed off to Claire Curzan with the U.S. up by 1.8 seconds, and Curzan answered the bell with the second-fastest female split in the field (52.62) as the Americans finished in 3:38.79.

Without stars Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy, the U.S. was still nearly two seconds faster than at the Tokyo Olympics (3:40.58) as they used the traditional MMFF order for the first time since 2015.

Everything changed in the race for the minor medals after the exchange from breaststroke to butterfly, as Australia, Great Britain and the Netherlands were all of a sudden in the mix with Italy after all three of their fliers (all men) split sub-51.

All three women split sub-53 on the freestyle as well, bumping Italy down to fifth, while Shayna Jack‘s 52.92 got the job done for Australia as they won silver in 3:41.34.

Marrit Steenbergen was the fastest woman on the anchor in 52.55 for the Dutch, earning them bronze in 3:41.54, while the Brits found themselves on the outside looking in at 3:41.54 for fourth.

Italy was fifth in 3:41.67, with the female combo of Elena di Liddo (57.72) and Silvia di Pietro (53.76) not quite enough to get them on the podium despite having the two individual male champions on the first two legs.

Men’s 100 Freestyle Semi-finals – Swim-off

1. Nandor Nemeth (HUN), 47.69
2. Lorenzo Zazzeri (ITA), 48.04

Nandor Nemeth came through under pressure to win the swim-off in the men’s 100 free in front of the home crowd, blasting a new Hungarian Record in a time of 47.69 to solidify his spot in tomorrow’s final.

Nemeth, known more as a back-half swimmer, got out to the early lead on Italy’s Lorenzo Zazzeri, flipping in 22.90 before holding him at bay coming home (24.79) to down his previous National Record of 47.81.

Nemeth’s time in the swim-off would’ve placed sixth in the semi-finals.

Zazzeri closed well, 24.78, but didn’t have enough front-end speed and ended up second in 48.04 to officially finish ninth overall.

The two men tied for eighth in the semis in 47.96.

Women’s 50 Backstroke Semi-finals – Swim-off

1. Medi Harris (GBR), 27.56
2. Silvia Scalia (ITA), 27.65

Great Britain’s Medi Harris and Italy’s Silvia Scalia were both faster than they were in the semis of the women’s 50 back, but it’s Harris moving on to the final after touching first in a time of 27.56.

The swim is a new best for both, with Harris having previously been 27.69, while Scalia clocked 27.65 to down her old PB by .01. Both would have made the top eight if they hit those times in the semis.

The two women tied for eighth in the semis in a time of 27.72.