2024 World Championships: Day 8 Finals Preview

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day 8 Finals Schedule

  • Men’s 50 back final
  • Women’s 50 breast final
  • Men’s 1500 free final
  • Women’s 50 free final
  • Men’s 400 IM final
  • Women’s 400 IM final
  • Men’s 4×100 medley relay final
  • Women’s 4×100 medley relay final

The last finals session of 2024 Doha Worlds is set to complete the swimming portion of these championships with eight medal finals, six individual finals and the two men’s and women’s 4×100 medley relay finals.

Men’s 50 Back

Aussie Isaac Cooper‘s fresh Oceanian record of 24.12 gave him the top finals spot in the men’s 50 back, tenths ahead of defending World champion American Hunter Armstrong (24.43). Armstrong is already a individual backstroke champion here, winning the 100 back previously in the meet.

Behind No. 3-seeded pair (24.46) Polish Ksawery Masiuk and South African Pieter Coetze is 200 back champion and 100 back silver medalist Spaniard Hugo Gonzalez (24.60), who could become the third swimmer in Doha to medal in all three distances of a single stroke discipline.

American Michael Andrew will be swimming his fourth 50 stroke final in Doha, seeded 7th at 24.70.

Women’s 50 Breast

Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte and Italy’s Benedetta Pilato are qualified first and third respectively into their first Doha final. Previously in the 100 breast, Meilutyte missed semifinals while Pilato did not make the final. They sandwich 100 breast champion China’s Tang Qianting, who set a new Asian record to be 2nd seed at (29.80).

American teenager Piper Enge had the semi-finals performance of her career to qualify fourth into the final at 30.53, but it more than a half second away from the elusive top three finals seeds.

Men’s 1500 Free

After missing the men’s 800 free final, Germany’s Florian Wellbrock comes in as the men’s 1500 free final top seed at 14:48.43, setting himself up for a repeat duel between France’s David Aubry (14:49.01), who both had a close race together in prelims.

Eyeing another distance free Worlds podium appearance will be Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk (14:51.83), who is seeded 0.35s behind No. 3 seed Hungary’s David Bethlehem (14:51.48).

Keep an eye on No. 6 seed Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen (14:54.29), who is coming off an 800 free title.

Women’s 50 Free

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom comes in as the lone-24 top seed in the women’s 50 free at 23.90, just ahead of fresh Polish national record holder Kasia Wasick (24.01). Sjostrom already won the 50 fly final yesterday. If she were to win this 50 free, this would mark her 3rd-consecutive LC Worlds 50 free/fly sweep. If Wasick were to medal, it would accompany her 2022 event silver medal.

Individual 100 free bronze medalist Shayna Jack (24.44) of Australia is seeded two-tenths behind 200 IM champion Kate Douglass (24.24) in the battle for the bronze medal.

Men’s 400 IM

USA’s David Johnston set a lifetime best of 4:12.51 to lead the men’s 400 IM finals seeds. The Texas Longhorn sits 0.03s ahead of British veteran Max Litchfield (4:12.54) and legendary Japanese IMer Daiya Seto (4:13.06). Seto is a three-time event World champion (2013/2015/2019) on top of his 2017 and 2023 bronze medals.

Also in the mix for a medal are 200 IM silver medalist American Carson Foster (4:13.24) and New Zealand native Lewis Clareburt (4:13.61). Last year, Foster won the silver over Seto. Foster also hit silver in 2022, where Clareburt just missed the podium in fourth. Clareburt was, however, the 2019 bronze medalist.

Women’s 400 IM

Canada’s Tess Cieplucha narrowly leads Serbia’s Anja Crevar for the top two women’s 400 IM seeds, 4:40.80 to 4:41.11. In the SCM pool, Cieplucha was the 400 IM champion in 2021. Meanwhile, Crevar is setting herself up for her first major senior international medal.

Great Britain’s Freya Colbert (4:42.33) and France’s Cyrielle Duhamel (4:42.68), and Japans’ Ichika Kajimoto (4:42.85) join Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko as the remaining 4:42-point seeds. At 2021 SC Worlds, Gorbenko was a double sprint champion in the 50 breast and 100 IM.

Men’s Medley Relay

Team USA has powered up with 100 back champion Hunter Armstrong, 100 breast champion Nic Fink, 100 fly finalist Zach Harting, and reliable relay asset Matt King to maintain their top men’s medley relay seed. Be on the lookout of Dutch breaststroker Arno Kamminga and flyer Nyls Korstanje to take jabs at the American quartet.

Double backstroke medalist Hugo Gonzalez will lead off the Spanish relay while the likes of double breaststroke medalist Nicolo Martinenghi and 100 free silver medalist Alessandro Miressi are set to power the Italian relay.

Women’s Medley Relay

With no Team USA in the women’s medley relay, the spot for the crown has opened up for top seed Canada as well as European powerhouses Sweden and the Netherlands plus top continental quartets of Australia and China.

While Canada swapped in Sophie Angus over 200 breast medalist Sydney Pickrem in breaststroke, they will be fueled by backstroke medalist Ingrid Wilm and consistent relay freestyler Taylor Ruck. Sweden will feature both Hansson sisters (Louise, Sophie) as well as sprint queen Sarah Sjostrom and veteran Michelle Coleman.

Don’t count out the Dutch relay, featuring double breaststroke medalist Tes Schouten, along with 100 breast champion Tang Qianting of China and Aussies free/fly specialist Brianna Throssell and quickster Shayna Jack. In the mixed 4×100 free relay, Jack had the fastest female split to aid Australia’s move from third to second in the final.

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, already a freestyle and breaststroke medalist in Doha, will be swimming the breast leg for her relay. Individual 50 breast medal contender Benedetta Pilato will also be in the water for Italy.

All 2024 Doha Finals Previews

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About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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