2024 World Championships: Day 7 Finals Preview

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 11th – February 18th, 2024
• Doha, Qatar
• LCM (50m)
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• 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 Recap
• Day 7 Prelims Recap

Day 7 Finals Schedule

• Women’s 50 fly final
• Men’s 50 free final
• Women’s 200 back final
• Women’s 50 breast semi-finals
• Men’s 100 fly final
• Women’s 50 free semi-finals
• Men’s 50 back semi-finals
• Women’s 800 free final
• Mixed 4×100 free relay final

Nine more events are on the slate for the penultimate night of finals here in Doha. The evening is set to start with three medal finals (W 50 fly, M 50 free, W 200 back), followed up by the women’s 50 breast semi-finals. After the men’s 100 fly final, two sprint semi-finals are going to go down (W 50 free, M 50 back). The session will cap off with the women’s 800 free final and the mixed 4×100 free relay final.

• Day 7 Finals Heat Sheet
• Mixed 4×100 Free Relay Final Line-Ups

Sjostrom Ready to Six-Peat Women’s 50 Fly

Swedish sprint star Sarah Sjostrom comes in as the top women’s 50 fly seed at 25.08, narrowly ahead of France’s Melanie Henique (25.27). If Sjostrom were to win, this would mark her 6th consecutive event title. She remains the only woman in history to break 25 seconds in this event. Meanwhile, Henique is in position to repeat silver following her identical 2022 Budapest finish.

Egyptian veteran Farida Osman is the No. 3 seed at 25.80, one one-hundredth ahead of Chinese teenager Yu Yiting (25.81). Osman is a two-time bronze medalist in this event, though last stepped on the event podium back in 2019 Gwangju.

Aussie teammates Brianna Throssell and Alexandria Perkins, along with South African Erin Gallagher and 100 fly champion German Angelina Kohler, who won a swim-off to enter this final, are also in the mix.

It’s McEvoy Comeback Time in the Men’s 50 Free

Comeback veteran Australia’s Cameron McEvoy has paved his way for gold in this event, leading this final at 21.23. No. 2 seed Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov is narrowly behind with his national record time of 21.38. The duo will also be contesting alongside European stars Great Britain’s Ben Proud, Sweden’s Bjorn Seelinger, Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev, and Netherlands’ Kenzo Simons.

Seeded behind another Aussie, Isaac Cooper, will be No. 8 seed American Michael Andrew. The US swimmer already earned silver in the 50 fly.

Curzan on Track to Medal, or Win, All Three Backstrokes

USA’s Claire Curzan is on her way to making history in the women’s 200 back. If to medal, Curzan would become the second woman to medal in all three LC Worlds backstroke events. If to win, Curzan would join Australia’s Kaylee McKeown as the second woman to sweep all three backstroke events at LC Worlds. Curzan leads the final at 2:07.01 by 1.84s over Australia’s Jaclyn Barclay (2:08.85).

NIA swimmer Anastasiya Shkurdai (2:09.76) is seeded fourth behind Hungarian Eszter Szabo-Feltothy (2:09.42). Shkurdai and Curzan have raced side-by-side before on the World junior stage, with Shkurdai taking silver ahead of Curzan in both the 50/100 fly events at 2019 World Juniors.

Ribeiro Favored to Double Up Gold With Men’s 100 Fly

Portugal’s Diogo Ribeiro comes in as the top seed in the men’s 100 fly final at 51.30, three one-hundredths faster than Poland’s Jakub Majerski (51.33). Previously, Ribeiro won the men’s 200 fly final.

Be on the lookout in lane two for South African Olympic champion Chad le Clos, as well as seeing what American Zach Harting, a known 200 specialist, could pull off.

Gose & Quadarella On Medal Hunt in Women’s 800 Free

Germany’s Isabel Gose (8:26.49) takes the women’s 800 free top seed by over a second ahead of Italy’s Simona Quadarella (8:27.80). Gose is already a two-time medalist in Doha, having both 400 and 1500 free bronze medals around her neck. Quadarella, on the other hand, has a single gold medal from her dominant 1500 free performance.

New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather (8:28.15) comes in as the No. 3 seed, already named 400 free champion and 200 free bronze medalist. Right behind her is teammate Eve Thomas (8:29.30), narrowly ahead of Argentina’s Agostina Hein (8:29.44).

The final will also feature nine swimmers, as Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto and Australia’s Maddy Gough tied for 8th in prelims at 8:35.25.

Mixed 4×100 Free Relay

China (3:24.47) once again takes the top-seeded relay out of lane four, this time in the mixed 4×100 free relay. They are sandwiched against the likes of other top-seeded quartets such as Canada (3:24.78), Australia (3:25.30), Italy (3:26.06), USA (3:28.76), and the Netherlands (3:29.23).

Among the line-up changes, newly-minted World record holder and World champion Pan Zhanle will lead off the Chinese relay. Similarly, the Italians changed up to have 100 free silver medalist Alessandro Miressi lead off the relay. The Aussies have re-loaded their relay with women’s 100 free bronze medalist Shayna Jack and 200 free bronze medalist Brianna Throssell. For the Dutch, 200 breast champion Caspar Corbeau as well as backstroker Kira Touissant and women’s 100 free champion Marrit Steenbergen will be swimming in the final.

Meanwhile, Team USA has replaced all four legs to 100 back champion and 4×200 free relay member Hunter Armstrong, 100 free finalist Matt King, and versatile sprint queens Claire Curzan and Kate Douglass.

DAY 7 SEMI-FINALS TOP SEEDS

Italy’s Benedetta Pilato takes the women’s 50 breast top seeds at 29.89, narrowly 0.04s ahead of No. 2 seed China’s Tang Qianting (29.93). Lithuania veteran Ruta Meilutyte also flirted with the 30-second barrier at 30.05, swimming in heat two next to Pilato.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (23.91) was the only woman to break 24 seconds heading into the women’s 50 free semi-finals. Headlining the prior heat is USA’s Kate Douglass, announcing herself with a personal best of 24.19. Australia’s Shayna Jack  (24.30) as well as podium veterans Poland’s Kasia Wasick (24.36) and Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin  (24.70) are also among the top seeds.

In the men’s 50 back, Wasick’s fellow countrymate Ksawery Masiuk takes the top men’s 50 back semi-finals slot at 24.58, ahead of 200 back champion Hugo Gonzalez of Spain (24.72) and 100 back champion Hunter Armstrong of the US (24.66). This is a positive turnaround for Masiuk, as he previously missed 100 back semi-finals by 0.09s, placing 17th at 54.33.

• Women’s 50 Breast
  • Semi-Final 1, Lane 4 – Tang Qianting (China), 29.93
  • Semi-Final 2, Lane 4 – Benedetta Pilato (Italy), 29.89
• Women’s 50 Free
  • Semi-Final 1, Lane 4 – Kate Douglass (USA), 24.19
  • Semi-Final 2, Lane 4 – Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden), 23.91
• Men’s 50 Back
  • Semi-Final 1, Lane 4 – Hunter Armstrong (USA), 24.66
  • Semi-Final 2, Lane 4 – Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 24.58