2024 World Championships: Day 6 Finals Preview

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 11th – February 18th, 2024
• Doha, Qatar
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Official Entries
• Live Results
• How To Watch
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
• Day 6 Prelims Recap

DAY 6 FINALS SCHEDULE

• Women’s 100 free final
• Men’s 100 fly semi-finals
• Women’s 200 back semi-finals
• Men’s 50 free semi-finals
• Women’s 200 breast final
• Men’s 200 back final
• Men’s 200 breast final
• Women’s 50 fly semi-finals
• Men’s 4×200 free relay final

The sixth finals session here in Doha will feature nine total events, five medal finals stacked with four semi-finals. The night will kick off with the women’s 100 free, followed by three semi-final events in a row (men’s 100 fly, women’s 200 back, men’s 50 free). The rest of the session is scheduled to crown three more individual 2024 World champions (women’s 200 breast, men’s 200 back/breast), followed by two women’s 50 fly semi-finals, finishing off with the men’s 4×200 free relay final.

• Day 6 Finals Heat Sheet
• Men’s 800 Free Relay Final Line-Ups

Haughey On Track for Another Win In Women’s 100 Free

Hong Kong freestyle ace Siobhan Haughey will be aiming for her second women’s freestyle title in Doha, coming in as the No. 2 finals seed (52.92) behind Marrit Steenbergen‘s Dutch record of 52.53. During semi-finals, Haughey appeared to shut it down on the finish, saving the best finish efforts for last. Haughey owns the Asian record with 52.02, exactly 0.51s faster than Steenbergen’s hours-old career best. Haughey has split as fast as 25.08/26.94, with Steenbergen’s best splits at 25.82/26.71. Haughey knows how to establish a lead, but can Steenbergen run her down?

USA’s Kate Douglass will be swimming this final as well, seeded fifth at 53.31 behind Australia’s Shayna Jack (53.16) and Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin (53.12). Douglass has been as fast as 52.57, but Jack has been faster at 52.28. Both women, along with the likes of Hopkin’s speedy front half, are also in contention for a medal

Douglass Slated As Heavy Favorite for Women’s 200 Breast Crown

After roughly 45 minutes of rest in the finals program, American Kate Douglass returns to the finals stage, flexing her unmatched versatility with 200 breast talent alongside her sprint free capability. Douglass is seeded second in the final at 2:23.17, just 1.67s off top seed Netherlands’ Tes Schouten‘s Dutch record of 2:21.50. However, Douglass owns the American national record at 2:19.30.

Back at 2023 Fukuoka, Douglass finished fourth-tenths ahead of Schouten for the silver medal. Analyzing potential race strategies, in semi-finals, Schouten was out in 1:07.79 (31.99/35.80) on the 100 front half in comparison to Douglass’ 1:09.25 (33.01/36.24). Douglass did split a consistent 36.9/36.9 on the second 100, with her third 50 tenths up on Schouten’s 36.45 third 50 split yet three-tenths under the Dutchwoman’s closing 50 (37.26).

Canada’s Sydney Pickrem is seeded third at 2:23.77, right off her best time of 2:22.63. She leads a trio of 2:24 seeds: NIA’s Alina Zmushka (2:24.14), Switzerland’s Lisa Mamie (2:24.62), and Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova (2:24.69).

Aikins Next in Line to Carry US Men’s 200 Back Torch

American UVA NCAA redshirt Jack Aikins is seeded first into the men’s 200 back final, a new name poised to carry the elusive US men’s backstroke torch. Aikins was just off his entry time of 1:56.04 to take top seed at 1:56.32, only six one-hundredths over Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez (1:56.38).

In the men’s 100 back final, Gonzalez scared American Hunter Armstrong by just missing his winning time by two one-hundreths, 52.68 to 52.70. With a silver already around his neck, will the drive for gold be enough to topple young American Aikins? At 2023 Fukuoka, Hungary’s Hubert Kos out-touched USA’s Ryan Murphy to put a kink in the long-standing American men’s backstroke legacy.

While both aforementioned names aren’t racing in Doha, Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov is. He will be aiming to upgrade his 2023 bronze medal, where he set his entry time of 1:55.34, faster than both Aikins’ and Gonzalez’s entry times. Mityukov is seeded fifth in the final behind Korea’s Lee Juho (1:56.40) and Hungary’s Adam Telegdy (1:56.65).

Foster Holds Onto Men’s 200 Breast Top Spot, For Now

The second American top seed in tonight’s finals is 23-year-old Jake Foster, who leads the men’s 200 breast finals seeds at 2:08.78. He is just ahead of China’s Dong Zhihao, 18 years old, who touched in at 2:09.16 for second seed. Zhihao placed fourth in Fukuoka 2023 to nab his current world junior record of 2:08.83. Foster, however, owns a personal best of 2:08.23, setting up a competitive race between the college-aged duo.

Another college-aged swimmer, 22-year-old Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands, is seeded third at 2:09.34. However, Corbeau has the fastest best time of Foster and Zhihao at 2:07.99. He leads a tied pair of No. 4 seeds, 2021 Olympic bronze medalist Matti Mattsson of Finland and Ikuru Hiroshima of Japan, clocking 2:09.43.

Don’t forget 100 breast champion Nic Fink of the USA (#6 2:09.87), No. 7 seed Erik Persson of Sweden (2:10.04), and 5th-place 100 breast finisher Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands (#8 2:10.30).

Men’s 4×200 Free Relay Final: China V. Korea

China and Korea are set for a battle royale in the men’s 4×200 free relay, with China leading 0.68s over Korea for the top two seeds. China will return one event champion and two 1:46 legs while Korea will bring back two event champions, both 1:46-capable. For China, Ji Xinjie (1:46.68) and 100 free champion Pan Zhanle (1:46.22) are slated to swim in lane four while Korea will bring back 200 free champion Hwang Sunwoo (1:46.32) and 400 free champion Kim Woomin (1:46.56).

Sandwiching the Asian countries are Mediterranean teams of Italy and Greece, along with the likes of other European quartets Lithuania, Great Britain, and Spain.

The US men scathed an 8th-place qualification into tonight’s final. They have swapped in Carson Foster, keeping prelims addition Hunter Armstrong, who split 1:46.86 to keep his spot in finals. Individual event bronze medalist Luke Hobson and Texas NCAA teammate David Johnston will accompany their American teammates.

DAY 6 SEMI-FINALS Top Seeds

• Men’s 100 Fly
  • Semi-Final 1, Lane 4 – Katsuhiro Matsumoto (Japan), 51.60
  • Semi-Final 2, Lane 4 – Simon Bucher (Austria), 51.42
• Women’s 200 Back
  • Semi-Final 1, Lane 4 – Jaclyn Barclay (Australia), 2:10.82
  • Semi-Final 2, Lane 4 – Claire Curzan (USA), 2:10.50
• Men’s 50 Free
  • Semi-Final 1, Lane 4 – Vladyslav Bukhov (Ukraine), 21.56
  • Semi-Final 2, Lane 4 – Cameron McEvoy (Australia), 21.13
• Women’s 50 Fly
  • Semi-Final 1, Lane 4 – Melanie Henique (France), 25.44
  • Semi-Final 2, Lane 4 – Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden), 24.88

DAY 6 Swim-Off Update

• South Africa’s Matt Sates (51.80) out-touched Ireland’s Max McCusker (52.31) for the 16th spot in the men’s 100 fly semi-finals. This now ranks Sates sixth in the prelims seeds.