2025 World Junior Swimming Championships
- August 19-24, 2025
- Otopeni, Romania
- LCM (50 meters)
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DAY 4 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET
Welcome to day 4 of the 2025 World Junior Championships! After last night’s action which was incredible, featuring a World Junior Record and a few Championship Records, we’re in the for the shortest prelims session yet. There are only 6 events this morning, and 2 of them are 50s. Let’s take a look at this morning’s lineup.
DAY 4 PRELIMS SCHEDULE:
- Girls 50 Backstroke
- Boys 50 Butterfly
- Girls 400 Freestyle
- Boys 200 Breaststroke
- Girls 200 IM
- Boys 4×200 Freestyle Relay
American Charlotte Crush will be back in action in the girls 50 back this morning. Crush has already won gold in the 100 back this week and earned silver in the 200 back last night, so she enters the event with a lot of momentum. However, it’s South Korea’s Kim Seungwon who comes in as the top seed in the 50 back this morning.
Following the girls 50 back, Great Britain’s Dean Fearn will be up in the boys 50 fly. Fearn comes into the meet as the top seed, boasting a very impressive career best of 23.29. His time comes in 0.33 seconds off the World Junior Record, which is held by Portugal’s Diogo Ribeiro.
China’s Yang Peiqi enters the girls 400 free as the top seed by a wide margin. Yang’s personal best of 4:02.53 is well under the Championship Record of 4:05.42. Of note, NAB’s Sofia Diakova comes in with a 4:05.16, which is also under the Championship Record.
Japan’s Shin Ohashi comes in as the #2 seed in the boys 200 breast this morning despite being the World Junior Record holder in the event. Ohashi is entered with a 2:08.89, however, his personal best of 2:06.91 stands as the WJR in the event. Great Britain’s Filip Nowacki comes in as the top seed this morning with his personal mark of 2:08.32. While that would make Ohashi the favorite in this event, it’s worth noting that Ohashi is also the WJR holder in the 100 breast, yet Nowacki already bested Ohashi head-to-head in that event earlier this week.
After having won the girls 200 fly and 200 back this week, American Audrey Derivaux comes in as the top seed in the girls 200 IM.
GIRLS 50 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
- World Junior Record: 27.49 – Minna Atherton, AUS (2016)
- Championship Record: 27.81 – Gabrielle Fa’Amausili, NZL (2015)
TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:
- Ainsley Trotter (AUS) – 28.14
- Kim Seungwon (KOR) – 28.19
- Jessica Thompson (RSA) – 28.32
- Julie Mishler (USA) – 28.34
- Varvara Hlushchenko (POL) – 28.38
- Milana Stepanova (NAB) – 28.40
- Blythe Kinsman (GBR) – 28.48
- Chiara Lamanna (ITA) – 28.49
- Milan Glintmeyer (NZL) – 28.52
- Sun Yidan (CHN) – 28.56
- Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu (ROU) – 28.66 (TIE)
- Li Jiawei (CHN) – 28.66 (TIE)
- Sienna Rodgers (CAN) – 28.72
- Madison Kryger (CAN) – 28.74
- Mariia Osetrova (NAB) – 28.82
- Isabel Sheldrick (AUS) – 28.83
Australia’s Ainsley Trotter led the way in prelims of the girls 50 backstroke this morning, swimming a 28.14. Trotter was about a quarter-of-a-second off her best time of 27.88. Australia’s other swimmer, Isabel Sheldrick, was the last swimmer to make it through to semifinals, swimming a 28.83 for 16th this morning.
South Korea’s Kim Seungwon came in 2nd this morning with a 28.19. Kim was the top seed coming into this morning, holding a career best of 27.71. Of note, Kim is only 15 years old.
South Africa’s Jessica Thompson rounded out the top 3 this morning with a 28.32.
American Julie Mishler swam a 28.34 for 4th this morning. Fellow American Charlotte Crush, the gold medalist in the 100 back and silver medalist in the 200 back, came in 17th this morning, missing out on advancing to tonight’s semifinals.
BOYS 50 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 22.27 – Andrii Govorov, UKR (2018)
- World Junior Record: 22.96 – Diogo Ribeiro, POR (2022)
- Championship Record: 22.96 – Diogo Ribeiro, POR (2022)
TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:
- Dean Fearn (GBR) – 23.47
- Abdul Adama (NGR) – 23.61
- Jan Foltyn (CZE) – 23.70
- L.F. de Paula Filho (BRA) – 23.81
- Szymon Mroz (POL) – 23.99
- Emiliano Calle Bedoya (COL) – 24.07
- Rishat Zhumagulov (KAZ) – 24.08
- Han Jooyoung (KOR) – 24.11
- Arda Akkoyun (TUR) – 24.17 (TIE)
- Maxim Skazobtsov (KAZ) – 24.17 (TIE)
- Larus Thiel (GER) – 24.21
- Francesco Ceolin (ITA) – 24.22
- Evgenii Shilovskii (NAB) – 24.24
- Egor Proshin (NAB) – 24.27
- Alexander Sillitoe (AUS) – 24.32
- Michal Szymczyk (POL) – 24.33
Great Britain’s Dean Fearn came into the meet as the top seed in the boys 50 fly and he held onto that title this morning, swimming a 23.47 to earn the top seed for tonight’s semifinals. Fearn was just 0.18 seconds off his personal best of 23.29, marking a very strong morning swim.
Nigeria’s Abdul Adama came in 2nd this morning, clocking a 23.61. With the performance, Adama broke his own Nigerian Record in the event, bettering his previous mark of 23.81, which he set back in April at the British Championships.
Czech Republic’s Jan Foltyn rounded out this morning’s top 3 swimmers, clocking a 23.70. He was just off his career best of 23.55.
Notably, neither of the American Swimmers, Rowan Cox or Evan Witte, advanced to semifinals.
GIRLS 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 3:54.18 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)
- World Junior Record: 3:56.08 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
- Championship Record: 4:05.42 – Lani Pallister, AUS (2019)
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Kennedi Dobson (USA) – 4:08.53
- Agostina Hein (ARG) – 4:10.52
- Sofia Diakova (NAB) – 4:11.11
- Yang Peiqi (CHN) – 4:11.12
- Ella Cosgrove (CAN) – 4:11.97
- Yan Tiaoshan (CHN) – 4:12.28
- Kseniia Misharina (NAB) – 4:13.11
- Brinkleigh Hansen (USA) – 4:13.59
American Kennedi Dobson popped a new personal best en route to leading the field in prelims of the girls 400 free this morning. Dobson clocked a 4:08.53, taking nearly a full second off her previous best of 4:09.46, which she swam at last summer’s Junior Pan Pacs. She was completely in control of her race this morning, negative splitting with a 2:04.46 on the opening 200m, then coming home in 2:04.07 on the back half of the race.
The other American in the field, Brinkleigh Hansen, was the last swimmer to make it through to tonight’s final, swimming a 4:13.59. The 15-year-old was about 2 seconds off her personal best of 4:11.73.
Argentina’s Agostina Hein came in 2nd this morning with a 4:10.52. Hein, the gold medalist in the 400 IM earlier in the week, set a personal best of 4:06.96 at last week’s Junior Pan Ams.
Sofia Diakova rounded out the top 3 this morning, swimming a 4:11.11.
Yang Peiqi, who came in as the top seed by a wide margin, was 4th this morning in 4:11.12. We can expect a faster swim out of Yang tonight, as she holds a personal best of 4:02.53.
BOYS 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 2:05.48 – Qin Haiyang, CHN (2023)
- World Junior Record: 2:06.91 – Shin Ohashi, JPN (2025)
- Championship Record: 2:09.40 – Josh Matheny, USA (2019)
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Filip Nowacki (GBR) – 2:09.76
- Daniil Pisetskii (NAB) – 2:11.00
- Shin Ohashi (JPN) – 2:11.32
- Gabe Nunziata (USA) – 2:11.45
- Doruk Yogurtcuoglu (TUR) – 2:11.47
- Darius-Stefan Coman (ROU) – 2:12.28
- Nikita Batuev (NAB) – 2:12.38
- Wang Junteng (CHN) – 2:12.99
Great Britain’s Filip Nowacki led the field in the boys 200 breast this morning, clocking a 2:09.76. This puts Nowacki into the final tonight with a lot of momentum, as he was the only swimmer to go under 2:11.00 this morning. Nowacki was out in 1:02.43 on the opening 100m this morning, then he came home in 1:07.33 on the back half. Nowacki’s swim this morning was just 0.36 seconds off the Championship Record of 2:09.40.
Daniil Pisetskii came in 2nd this morning with a 2:11.00. The performance marks a new career best by 0.69 seconds.
Japan’s Shin Ohashi came in 3rd this morning with a 2:11.32. Ohashi is the World Junior Record holder in the event, having gone 2:06.91 about a month ago.
GIRLS 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)
- World Junior Record: 2:06.56 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
- Championship Record: 2:10.24 – Leah Hayes, USA (2023)
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Audrey Derivaux (USA) – 2:12.51
- Misuzu Nagaoka (JPN) – 2:13.32
- Shuna Sasaki (JPN) – 2:13.41
- Agostina Hein (ARG) – 2:13.58
- Noelle Benkler (GER) – 2:13.69
- Zhou Yanjun (CHN) – 2:13.75
- Amalie Smith (GBR) – 2:14.15
- Heidi Shumack (AUS) – 2:15.24
American 16-year-old Audrey Derivaux secured the top seed for tonight’s final in the girls 200 IM, giving her the chance to win her 3rd individual gold medal of the meet. Derivaux clocked a 2:12.51 this morning, which is less than 2 seconds off her personal best of 2:10.91. She was excellent on the front half of the race this morning, splitting 27.61 on fly and 32.61 on back for a 1:00.22 on the opening 100m, which was the fastest 1st 100 split in the field by a wide margin.
Japan’s duo of Misuzu Nagaoka and Shuna Sasaki were both great this morning, taking 2nd and 3rd respectively. Nagaoka was particularly great on breaststroke this morning, where she clocked a 38.84.
Working an incredibly difficult double this morning, Argentina’s Agostina Hein came in 4th this morning with a 2:13.58. Hein has her work cut out for her today, as she already raced the 400 free prelims earlier this session. She had less than an hour between races this morning. Hein, of course, won gold in the 400 IM a few days ago, shattering the Championship Record in the process. The time between races is going to be even shorter tonight in finals, as the only event between the 400 free and 200 IM is the boys 50 free final.
BOYS 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 6:58.55 – USA (2009)
- World Junior Record: 7:08.37 – USA (2019)
- Championship Record: 7:08.37 – USA (2019)
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Neutral Athletes B – 7:15.53
- Japan – 7:18.30
- China – 7:18.78
- Canada – 7:19.36
- Italy – 7:20.80
- Turkey – 7:21.11
- Australia – 7:21.61
- Brazil – 7:21.99
Neutral Athletes B secured the top seed for tonight’s final in the boys 4×200 free relay by a wide margin. Andrei Cherepkov (1:48.93), Mikhail Shcherbakov (1:47.84), Matvei Nesterov (1:50.06), and Egor Babinich (1:48.70) combined to get the job done, stopping the clock in 7:15.53.
Italy will be a team to watch tonight in finals. The Italian relay came in 5th this morning, however, they’ll plug Carlos D’Ambrosio into the lineup tonight. D’Ambrosio won gold in the 200 free a few days ago, breaking the Championship Record in the process, so he’ll make a massive difference to Italy’s fortunes tonight.
Of note, the USA relay was DQ’d this morning due to a false start on the anchor leg. The results show the final exchange had a reaction time of -0.08 seconds in spite of having a 5+ second lead to qualify for the final. The first three legs split 1:49s.
Nevermind. Found answer to my question.
Anyone else find it annoying all these varying camera angles they keep on using during races ? A lot of close up shots and you don’t get to see the actual race and who’s leading until the very end which is annoying .. I get they wanna be creative and all that but I wanna see the racing .. save the close ups for replay slow mo’s
It’s worse than it was at Worlds and that was terrible. I’m really annoyed I paid for this.
How has no one in the swimming world come to realize that when someone or a relay is DQ’d we still want to see what the potential results were. Show us the damn times. We get it they DQ’d but what were the splits/ potential finish. I don’t understand results hiding that from us. Its ridiculous.
It’s crazy that at the last changeover USA was 5-6 seconds ahead of South Africa and Bulgaria, the next two fastest, and yet Gabriel Mantuefel had -0.08 RT.
Whyyyyyyyy
He could have had +3 seconds RT and USA would have still won heat 3.
sooooo real. Like i got DQed once during a race (breaststroke i still dont know why they did that to this day) but it felt like a pb swim but i dont know my actual time.
Looks like the US was in 3rd place overall after the first three swimmers
You can not click on the live results link and check it yourself? No, no, everyone must do it for you.
Okay then tell us what was the time for – MANTEUFEL Gabriel
Obviously you never clicked on the live results link
Hein went 4:06 at Jr PanAms last week 🙂
Anyone know why Sweeney was dq’d?
American boys: a disaster
How do you DQ on the anchor of m4x200 prelims??
Mind boggles.
Have a look at the RTs of the Aussies girls in the 4×2 heats on day one.
Y’all have got to chill the heck out when talking about kids.
These people suck. They could of course do everything better themselves.
Are they not on code as well like WC team?
USA threw away a possible gold medal…I m so upset..the first 3 legs were not great..but consistent..
Yeah the men’s 4×200 relay this year in junior and senior team is a disaster .
Boys will be Boys!
It’s more important to visit the petting zoo than to practice relay exchanges.
Fire Greg Meehan!