2024 SC World Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2024 Short Course World Championships

• December 10-15, 2024
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Roster Index
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Pick’em
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1  | Day 2 | Day 3

We’re now entering the second half of the 2024 Short Course World Championships. With all the records broken through the first 3 days of the meet, we’re surely set for an equally great back half. It starts with this morning’s prelims session, which features the 200 breast, 100 fly, mixed 4×50 free relay, men’s 4×200 free relay, and the slowest heats of the women’s 1500 free.

Day 4 Prelims Schedule & Heat Sheet

• Mixed 4×50 free relay
• Women’s 200 breast
• Men’s 200 breast
• Women’s 100 fly
• Men’s 100 fly
• Men’s 4×200 free relay
• Women’s 1500 free slowest heats

American Kate Douglass comes in as the heavy favorite in the women’s 200 breast. Douglass holds the World Record in the event with her career best of 2:12.72, which has her seeded 1st this morning by a whopping 5 seconds.

While the women’s 200 breast looks like a done deal, the men’s 200 breast looks like it’s going to be a great race. Australian Joshua Yong comes in as the top seed with a 2:01.67, however, Kirill Prigoda (2:01.85), Aleksandr Zhigalov (2:01.91), and Qin Haiyang (2:01.92) are right behind. Morevoer, Caspar Corbeau and Yamato Fukasawa are seeded with 2:02’s as well.

American Gretchen Walsh leads the entries in the women’s 100 fly, coming in with a 55.18. Walsh is the World Record holder in the LCM 100 fly, so we’ll be looking to see if she can crack Maggie MacNeil’s SC World Record of 54.05 today, Sweden’s Louise Hansson is close behind, coming in as the 2nd seed with a 55.37.

Switzerland’s Noe Ponti is the top seed in the men’s 100 fly, coming in with a 48.40.

MIXED 4×50 FREESTYLE RELAY – HEATS

• World Record: FRA – 1:27.33
• World Championship Record: FRA – 1:27.33
• 2022 World Champion: FRA – 1:27.33

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Italy – 1:29.46
2. Neutral Athletes – 1:29.94
3. Poland – 1:30.14
4. Canada – 1:30.23
5. Netherlands  – 1:30.53
6. Norway – 1:30.89
7. Hong Kong – 1:30.94
8. Slovakia – 1:31.00

Italy put up a great performance in the mixed 4×50 free relay this morning, seeing Leonardo Deplano (21.08), Lorenzo Zazzeri (21.25), Silvia di Pietro (23.71), and Sara Curtis (23.42) combine for a 1:29.46. They had a nice front half with Deplano and Zazzeri, but where the Italian squad won this morning was with their two women on the back half. Di Pietro and Curtis combined for a 47.13 on the back half, which was the fastest back half in the field.

The Neutral Athletes relay was also under 1:30 this morning, with Dmitri Zhavoronkov (21.63), Pavel Samusenko (20.56), Alina Gaifutdinova (24.09), and Daria Trofimova (23.66) teaming up for a 1:29.84.

Poland’s Katarzyna Wasick was excellent this morning, anchoring her relay in 23.46. Poland ended up 3rd with a 1:30.14. Canada’s Yuri Kisil was phenomenal as well, splitting 20.65 on the 2nd leg of his relay.

In a big shock, the US relay of Michael Andrew (21.27), Matt King (21.23), Claire Weinstein (24.49), and Alex Shackell (24.09) finished 9th with a 1:31.06, missing the final. Those are good splits for the Americans on this relay, however, the US gambled and lost, as they had faster 50 freestylers here in Budapest who could have swum this morning. For example, Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass are the two fastest yards 50 freestylers of all-time.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – HEATS

• World Record: 2:12.72 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024)
• World Junior Record: 2:14.70 – Evgeniia Chikunova, RUS (2022)
• World Championship Record: 2:15.77 – Kate Douglass, USA (2022)
• 2022 World Champion: Kate Douglass, USA – 2:15.77

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Kate Douglass (United States) – 2:16.64
2. Evgeniia Chikunova (Neutral Athletes) – 2:17.04
3. Alex Walsh (United States) – 2:18.74
4. Rebecca Meder (South Africa) – 2:18.79
5. Kristyna Horska (Czech Republic) – 2:19.00
6. Alina Zmushka (Neutral Athletes) – 2:19.19
7. Angharad Evans (Great Britain) – 2:19.51
8. Clara Rybak-Andersen (Denmark) – 2:19.59

It took under 2:20 to make it into finals in the women’s 200 breast tonight, seeing 2:19.59 secure 8th place for Denmark’s Clara Rybak-Andersen. China’s Zhu Leiju was also under 2:20, going 2:19.97, but was 9th, missing out on tonight’s final.

Unsurprisingly, it was American Kate Douglass who led the way this morning, swimming a 2:16.64. Douglass has already been 4 seconds faster than that this year, so we can expect a much faster swim out of the superstar tonight.

Fellow American Alex Walsh clocked a new career best of 2:18.74 this morning, finishing 3rd. Walsh is right in the thick of the group that will be competing for medals tonight, so the USA could see two swimmers on the podium.

Neutral Athletes’ Evgeniia Chikunova had a strong swim this morning, finishing 2nd in 2:17.04.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE  – HEATS

• World Record: 2:00.16 – Kirill Prigoda, RUS (2018)
• World Junior Record: 2:03.23 – Akhiro Yamaguchi, JPN (2012)
• World Championship Record: 2:00.16 – Kirill Prigoda, RUS (2018)
• 2022 World Champion: Daiya Seto, JPN – 2:00.35

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Yamato Fukasawa (Japan) – 2:02.24
2. Aleksandr Zhigalov (Neutral Athletes) – 2:02.46
3. AJ Pouch (United States) – 2:03.06
4. Kirill Prigoda (Nuetral Athletes) – 2:03.61
5. Carles Coll Marti (Spain) – 2:03.63
6. Caspar Corbeau (Netherlands) – 2:03.86
7. Ilya Shymanovich (Neutral Athletes) – 2:04.11
8. Joshua Yong (Australia) – 2:04.15

Japan’s Yamato Fukasawa led the way in the men’s 200 breast this morning, swimming a 2:02.24. Fukasawa was out fast, splitting 58.08 on the opening 100, which was the fastest split in the field.

Aleksandr Zhigalov was also 2:02 this morning, taking 2nd with a 2:02.46. He was out slower than Fukasawa but had the fastest back half in the field this morning, coming home in 1:03.67.

American AJ Pouch rounded out the top 3 this morning, putting up a career best of 2:03.06.

Australian Joshua Yong, who entered with the top seed this morning, barely made it back for the final tonight, swimming a 2:04.15 for 8th.

China’s Qin Haiyang missed out on finals for tonight, swimming a 2:04.42 this morning, which put him 9th.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – HEATS

• World Record: 54.05 – Maggie MacNeil, CAN (2022)
• World Junior Record: 55.39 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)
• World Championship Record: 54.05 – Maggie MacNeil, CAN (2022)
• 2022 World Champion: Maggie MacNeil, CAN – 54.05

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. Gretchen Walsh (United States) – 53.24 (World Record)
2. Tessa Giele (Netherlands) – 55.71
3. Louise Hansson (Sweden) – 55.86
4. Alexandria Perkins (Australia) – 55.97
5. Ellen Walshe (Ireland) – 56.17
6. Laura Lahtinen (Finland) – 56.20
7. Arina Surkova (Neutral Athletes) – 56.28
8. Mizuki Hirai (Japan) – 56.30
9. Anastasiya Kuliashova (Neutral Athletes) – 56.42
10. Lily Price (Australia) – 56.50
11. Chen Luying (China) – 56.84
12. Daria Klepikova (Neutral Athletes) – 56.88
13. Vanessa Ouwehand (New Zealand) – 56.97
14. Georgia Damasioti (Greece) – 57.14
15. Helena Bach (Denmark) – 57.40
16. Iris Berger (Austria) – 57.44

Well…Gretchen Walsh wasted not time getting after it this morning. The 21-year-old shattered the World Record of 54.05 this morning, tearing into the finish in 53.24. Walsh led the field by 2.47 seconds this morning, leaving little doubt as to who is the top dog in this race. She was out like a bullet, splitting 24.55 on the opening 50, which was the fastest first 50 split in the field by over 1 second.

Netherlands’ Tessa Giele had a great swim this morning, clocking a 55.71 for 2nd. She was out in 26.26, which was very middle-of-the-pack as far as those who qualified for semifinals, however, she came home in 29.45, which was the 2nd-fastest back half only to Walsh.

Of note, American Regan Smith did not swim the event this morning, despite being entered. Smith has the 50 back final tonight, which may have led to her decision to skip the 100 fly.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – HEATS

• World Record: 47.78 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
• World Junior Record: 49.03 – Ilya Kharun, CAN (2022)
• World Championship Record: 48.08 – Chad le Clos, RSA (2016)
• 2022 World Champion: Chad le Clos, RSA – 48.59

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. Ilya Kharun (Canada) – 49.17
2. Maxime Grousset (France) – 49.22
3. Noe Ponti (Switzerland) – 49.35
4. Hubert Kos (Hungary) – 49.36
5. Youssef Ramadan (Egypt) – 49.37
6. Matthew Temple (Australia) – 49.45
7. Dare Rose (United States) – 49.55
8. Andrei Minakov (Neutral Athletes) – 49.58
9. Simone Stefani (Italy) – 49.81
10. Roman Shevliakov (Neutral Athletes) – 49.97
11. Simon Bucher (Austria) – 49.98
12. Chad le Clos (South Africa) – 50.04
13. Clement Secchi (France) – 50.12 (TIE)
14. Takaya Yasue (Japan) – 50.12 (TIE)
15. Michele Busa (Italy) – 50.15 (TIE)
16. Tzen Wei Teong (Singapore) – 50.15 (TIE)

In a very competitive prelims of the men’s 100 fly, Canada’s Ilya Kharun led the way with a 49.17. Kharun, who is also the youngest swimmer in the field to qualify for semifinals (19), was just off his career best of 49.03, which he swam back in 2022 and stands as the World Junior Record in the event.

France’s Maxime Grousset was right behind with a 49.22. There were 11 men in total who went under 50 seconds this morning, setting up tonight’s semifinals to be a very tough race.

Andrei Minakov was out the fastest of anyone in the field this morning, splitting 22.57 on the first 50. He ended up 8th with a 49.58. Dare Rose was nearly as fast on the first 50, splitting 22.65. Rose was 7th with a 49.55.

MEN’S 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – HEATS

• World Record: 6:44.12 – USA (2022)
• World Championship Record: 6:44.12 – USA (2022)
• 2022 World Champion: USA – 6:44.12

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. United States – 6:51.69
2. Australia – 6:53.50
3. Italy – 6:53.89
4. China – 6:55.96
5. Spain – 6:56.04
6. Germany – 6:57.18
7. Neutral Athletes B – 6:57.59
8. Canada – 6:57.78

The Americans came out on top in prelims of the men’s 4×200 free relay this morning. Shaine Casas (1:40.88), Trenton Julian (1:42.39), Daniel Matheson (1:45.53), and Kieran Smith (1:42.89) teamed up for a 6:51.69. We’ll see what the Americans have in store for tonight and if they can make a run at their own World Record of 6:44.12, which they set back at the 2022 SC World Championships.

The Australian team of Elijah Winnington (1:43.29), David Schlicht (1:45.17), Harrison Turner (1:43.03), and Edward Sommerville (1:42.01) combined for a 6:53.50.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – SLOWEST HEATS

• World Record: 15:08.24 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2022)
• World Junior Record: 15:42.05 – Katie Grimes, USA (2022)
• World Championship Record: 15:21.43 – Lani Pallister, AUS (2022)
• 2022 World Champion: Lani Pallister, AUS – 15:21.43

RESULTS:

1. Jillian Cox (United States) – 15:41.29
2. Moesha Johnson (Australia) – 15:45.07
3. Ching Gan (Singapore) – 15:50.37
4. Kate Hurst (United States) – 15:55.11
5. Eve Thomas (New Zealand) – 15:56.27
6. Leticia Fassina (Brazil) – 15:59.08
7. Artemis Vasilaki (Greece) – 16:01.96
8. Viktoria Farkas-Mihalyvari (Hungary) – 16:03.59

American Jillian Cox led the slowest heats of the women’s 1500 free this morning with a 15:41.29. That performance marks a massive career best for Cox, b;lowing away her previous mark of 16:09.72, which she swam back in 2022. Moreover, her time from this morning stands a real chance of earning her a medal tonight, as there are only 3 women in the fastest heat seeded faster than Cox went this morning.

Australian Moesha Johnson wasn’t far behind, swimming a 15:45.07, which is her career best as well.