2025 World University Games: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2025 World University Games

• July 17th-23rd, 2025
  • Prelims: 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. EST)
  • Finals: 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. EST)
• Berlin, Germany
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• Entries List
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Finals Preview

Welcome to the finals session of Day 5 at the World University Games!

We could be in for another record-breaking evening with Leah Shackley, Kennedy Noble and Pieter Coetze, all three of whom have broken Universiade Records so far in Berlin, back in action again tonight. Shackley and Coetze will double up this evening, with the NC State swimmer taking on the women’s 50 back semis and 100 fly final, where she is the 4th seed. Coetze is in the 100 free and 50 back finals, setting himself up for a potential double gold tonight.

He will have to fight through Matt King in the former and Will Modglin in the latter to make that happen though. Patrick Dinu will also aim to set a best time in the 100 free for the third time in Berlin to keep the front two on their toes, while Korea’s National Record holder Jihwan Yoon is a threat in the backstroke.

Gen Jorgenson and Kate Hurst are the top two seeds in the women’s 1500 free, and the U.S. own lane 4 in the women’s 200 free and 200 IM with the top two seeds in both of those events.

It’s the German pair of Bjoern Kamman and Ole Mats Eidam who qualified fastest in the men’s 100 fly, and we’ll wrap things up tonight with the mixed 4×100 free relay, where the U.S. have the hot hand after winning both the men’s and women’s versions on Day 1 and being the only team under 3:30 this morning

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY– FINAL

• World Record: 54.60 – Gretchen Walsh (USA), 2025
• World Junior Record: 56.33 – Mizuki Hirai (JPN), 2024
• World University Games Record: 56.57– Zhang Yufei (CHN), 2023

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Leah Shackley (USA) – 58.16
2. Beatrix Tanko (HUN) – 58.55
3. Joesphine Crimmins (AUS) – 58.62
4. Ciara Schlosshan (GBR) – 58.74
5. Ella Welch (USA) – 59.07
6. Paola Borrelli (ITA) –  59.13
7. Julia Ullmann (SUI) – 59.44
8. Marian Cunha (POR) – 59.65

Lanes 4, 5 and 6 were out fastest in the final, with fastest seed Joesphine Crimmins hitting the wall first in 27.00. Hungary’s Beatrix Tanko was ahead of Leah Shackley in 27.10, with the American just behind in 27.16.

Shackley closed strongest of anyone to pull away from the group down the stretch, taking the win in 58.16. Great Britains Ciara Schlosshan nearly ran down Crimmins for bronze, touching just over a tenth back of the Australian, but Tanko outtouched them both en route to a silver medal, Hungary’s first of the games.

Ella Welch added over half a second from her semi-finals time to finish 5th.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle, CHN (2024)
• World Junior Record: 46.86– David Popovici, ROU (2022)
• World University Games Record: 47.62– Vladimir Morozov, RUS (2013)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Matt King (USA) – 48.01
2. Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 48.12
3. Aleksandr Shchegolev (AIN) – 48.34
4. Patrick Dinu (ROU) – 48.40
5. Ole Eidam (GER) – 48.80
6. Marcus da Silva (AUS) – 48.85
7. Kaique Alves (BRA) – 49.03
8. Dmitrii  Zhavoronkov (AIN) – 49.28

Matt King was once again out fastest, flipping in 22.85 to lead ahead of Aleksandr Shchegolev (23.08) and Ole Eidam (23.15). PIeter Coetze, the top seed, hit the wall 4th in 23.16.

Eidam couldn’t quite live with the pace of the centre lanes on the second half of the race, falling down to 5th, but did end up breaking 49 seconds for the first time in 48.80. Patrick Dinu roared back with the third-fastest second 50 to put himself in the fight, but just ran out of room as he ended up 4th, setting a new personal best for the third time in three attempts in a time of 48.40

King just managed to hold onto his top spot from halfway, closing in 25.16 to touch in 48.01, 0.11 seconds ahead of Pieter Coetze‘s 48.12. The South African was the only swimmer in the field to come home under 25 seconds with a final 50 of 24.96, but it was not enough to erase the deficit. King nearly matched his season best of 48.00 set leading the relay off on Day 1 while Coetze was just off the 47.88 he logged in that same race.

Aleksandr Shchegolev finished 3rd in 48.34, a tenth off his best from 2021

WOMEN’s 1500 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• World Junior Record: 15:28.36– Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
• World University Games Record: 15:57.90 – Simona Quadarella, ITA (2023)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Kate Hurst (USA) – 16:15.40
2. Gena Jorgenson (USA)  – 16:15.44
3. Niko Aoki (JPN) – 16:19.81
4. Fleur Lewis (GBR) -16:25.71
5. Noemi Cesarano (ITA) – 16:26.54
6. Marian Ploger (GER) – 16:31.98
7. Nore Fluck (HUN) – 16:39.72
8. Rebecca Diaconescu (ROU) – 16:$1.67

Japan’s Niko Aoki had a clear plan to get out after the race from lane 2, and held a lead of more than two seconds by the 400 meter mark. By 800 meters both Kate Hurst and Gena Jorgenson had caught the Japanese swimmer, and the two Americans pulled away to hold a lead of nearly two seconds over the Japanese swimmer by the 1000 meter mark.

The two were never separated by more than a second from then until the end, with Jorgenson leading for the majority of the final 500 meters. She led by half a second with 100 to go, which she stretched out to 0.61 seconds with 50 to go. Kate Hurst had a fantastic final 50, putting on a burst of speed as the two Americans came under the flags neck and neck, and the Texas swimmer had just enough to take the win by  0.04 seconds. She touched in 16:15.40 to Jorgenson’s 16:15.44, as Niko Aoki held on to take bronze for Japan in 16:19.81

Hurst closed in 29.80 to Jorgenson’s 30.34, with Aoki’s 31.13 the next fastest final 50. Jorgenson, who swims for Nebraska in the Big Ten and took 6th at the NCAA championships in the 1650 this March, hacked nearly four seconds off her best time

Fleur Lewis held between 32.9 and 331 on every 50 between 600 and 1400, and ended up 4th in 16:25.71, just ahead of the bronze medalist from two years ago, Italy’s Noemi Cesarano.

Rebecca Diaconescu, who is swimming her for Romania, finished 8th in 16:41.67, adding 12 seconds to her time from the heats. She was born in Las Vegas to Ioana Diaconescu, who swam for Romania at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, and Nicolae Papuc, a Romanian modern pentathlete who finished 21st at the 2000 Olympics, and currently swims for Michigan in the Big Ten.

Men’s 50 BREASTSTROKE– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)
• World Junior Record: 26.97 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• World University Games Record: 26.38– Qin Haiyang, CHN (2013)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Federico Rizzardi (ITA) – 27.28
2. Reo Okura (JPN) – 27.42
3. Jeremias Pock (GER) – 27.53
4. Vojtech Janeek (CZE) – 27.68
5. Nate Germonprez (USA) – 27.71
6. Dawid Wiekiera (POL) – 27.73
7. Henrique Fonseca (BRA) – 27.81
8. Archie Goodburn (GBR) – 27.82

The first semifinal was a barnstormer, as early leader Archie Goodburn was swallowed up by several swimmers at the finish and fell to fourth place in 27.84. Nate Germonprez won the heat in 27.71, just ahead of Poland’s double breaststroke medalist Dawid Wiekiera who clocked 27.73, with the Brazilian pair of Henrique Fonseca and Guilherme Camossato in 3rd and 5th with times of 27.81 and 27.84 respectively.

Just 0.13 seconds separated the top five in semifinal 1, and the fight for 8th ended up coming down to just 0.01 seconds. The top four qualifiers for tomorrow’s final ended up coming from the second semifinal, with Federico Rizzardi slightly slower than this morning but still having enough to win the heat in 27.28 ahead of Japan’s Reo Okura. Germany’s Jeremias Pock delivered some outside smoke to take an early lead from lane 1, and held on in 27.53 to make the top eight.

Seventh through tenth ended up separated by just 0.03 seconds, with Archie Goodburn the last man in. He was 27.19 in 2023, so could be a threat for the medals tomorrow.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS, (2023)
• World Junior Record: 27.49 – Minna Atherton, AUS (2016)
• World University Games Record: 27.84 – Adela Piskorska, POL (2023)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Leah Shackley (USA) – 27.66
2. Kennedy Noble  (USA) – 27.81
3. Olivia Nel (RSA) – 27.96
4. Michaela de Villiers (RSA) – 28.00
5. Adela Piskorska (POL) – 28.14
6. Federica Toma (ITA) – 28.35
7. Eunji Lee (KOR )- 28.56
8. Francesca Pasquino (ITA) – 28.69

The first semifinal saw the two South Africans put on a show, as both Olivia Nel and Michaela de Villiers were under Nel’s South African record of 28.19 set just his morning, they ended up taking the 3rd and 4th seeds into tomorrows final, and could add yet another medal to South Africa’s medal tally there. Eunji Lee, the bronze medalist in the two backstroke races that we’ve had so far, was 4rd and will be in lane 1 tomorrow night.

Leah Shackle and Kennedy Noble were out ahead of the field by the 15 meter mark, and Shackley pulled away down the stretch to win the second semifinal in 27.66, breaking Adela Piskorska‘s Universiade Record by nearly two-tenths of a second in 27.66. Noble was also under that mark in 27.81, shaving five-hundredths from her best, with previous Record holder Piskorska 3rd in the heat in 28.14, qualifying 5th into the final tomorrow.

WOMEN’s 200 IM – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh , CAN (2025)
• World Junior Record: 2:06.56 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World University Games Record: 2:10.03– Yui Ohashi, JPN (2017)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Leah Hayes (USA) – 2:10.01
2. Teagan O’Dell (USA) – 2:11.79
3. Ashley MacMillan (CAN) – 2:13.07
4. Camille Tissandie (FRA) – 2:14.07
5. Chiara Della Corte (ITA) – 2:!4.20
6. Iana Shakirova (AIN) – 2:14.46
7. Ge Chutong (CHN) – 2:14.62
8. Rio Sato (JPN) – 2:14.71

Teagan O’Dell ran out the comfortable winner in the first semifinal, taking the win by more than two seconds as she touched just half a second off her best in 2:11.79. She was out incredibly quickly, nearly breaking 60 seconds on the first 100 as she turned in 1:00.15, before splitting 39.89 and 31.75 . France’s Camille Tissandie was second in 2:14.07, just off her best of 2:13.73.

China’s Ge Chutong was the early leader in the second semi-final,leading Italian Chiara Della Corte by 0.31 at the first turn as she touched in 28.34, but within 30 meters it was all Leah Hayes as she roared back to turn first at halfway in 1:01.48.

She pulled away on the breaststroke, with Canadian Ashley MacMillan the only swimmer to go with her, and Hayes took a lead of 1.67 seconds into the final 50 as she touched in 1:39.05. Even with the win secured she did not let off, soaring home in 30.96 to touch in a new Universiade Record of 2:10.01, her fastest time since winning bronze at the 2022 World Championships. She beat out Tokyo Olympic Champion Yui Ohashi‘s standard by just 0.02 seconds.

MacMillan held on to take 2nd in the heat and 3rd overall in 2:13.08, two seconds off her best. Italy put Chiara Della Corte into the final in 5th place, but Anna Pirovano, a finalist in the 400 IM on Day 2, ended up 13th.

Ge Chutong snuck into the final in 7th, after scratching the 200 free for this event.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 1:52.23– Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2024)
• World Junior Record: 1:53.65 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
• World University Games Record: 1:56.71– Siobhan Haughey, HKG (2017)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Cavan Gormsen (USA) – 1:58.22
2. Francisca Martins (POR) – 1:58.49
3. Lucile Tessariol (FRA) & Ai Yanhan (CHN) – 1:58.59
4. –
5. Julie Broiusseau (CAN) – 1:58.99
6. Giulia D’Innocenzo (ITA) – 1:59.03
7. Nicole Maier (ITA) – 1:59.22
8. Isabel Ivey (USA) – 1:59.25

The first semi final was a tight affair through the first 50 with the top three separated by just 0.08 at the turn, Canada’s Julie Brousseau leading them out. She stayed in first at the halfway point in 57.96, nearly a second ahead of Cavan Gormsen, but she roared back on the final 50 to take the heat win in 1:58.22, just off her entry time of 1:58.07.

Gormsen closed in 29.36 on the final length, for a 59.50 second 100. Portugal’s Francisca Martins and China’ Ai Yanhan also closed sub-30 in 29.83 and 29.89 respectively, as Brousseau fell to 4th in 1:58.99, 1.4 seconds off her best of 1:57.60.

Isabel Ivey was out fastest once again on the first 50, splitting in 27.61 to lead three women under 28 seconds. She was 57.96 at halfway, exactly matching Brousseau’s halfway split, and had falledn to third by the final turn behind Lucile Tessariol and Giulia D’Innoenczo.

It was the Frenchwomen Tessariol who came home for the win in 1:58.59, two tenths off her best and the only women under 1:59 in a markedly slower second semifinal. Ivey fell all the way to fourth in 1:59.25, just off her time from this morning, and snuck into the final in 8th place by just 0.18 seconds.

Nicole Maier was just fifth at the 150 mark but had the only sub-30 final 50 in the heat, as she ended up finishing 3rd to put herself in lane 1 for tomorrow’s final.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE– FINAL

• World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 24.00 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
• World University Games Record: 24.46 – Zane Waddell, RSA (2019)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 24.49
2. Jihwan Yoon (KOR) – 24.51
3. Daniel Diehl (USA) – 24.75
4. Will Modglin (USA) – 24.78
5. Simone Stefani (ITA) – 25.04
6. Alexandre Desangles (FRA) – 25.14
7. Jules Andre (FRA) – 25.19
8. Ruard van Renen (RSA) – 25.36

Modglin had a wonderful first 15 and led the first 25 meters, but Pieter Coetze showed his strength to power past the American on the second half. He got past the American, but it was Jihwan Yoon who had the fastest final ten meters as he very nearly snatched the win from the South African. Coetze just got the win in 24.49, a hundredth faster than he was last night, with Yoon touching in 24.51 to take the silver, 0.03 seconds off his own Korean Record.

It was an American in 3rd, but not the one who had led this race initially. Daniel Diehl powered home to take the bronze in 24.75, with Will Modglin ending up 4th in 24.78.

Simone Stefani, who only made the final after swimming a swim-off with Spain’s Pablo Navarro last night, was fifth in 25.04, just off his gold-medal-winning time of 2498 from two years ago.

The French pair of Alexandre Desangles  and Jules Andre finished 6th and 7th, with Desangles slicing two-tenths off his best of 25.36 set yesterday.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• World Junior Record: 50.62– Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
• World University Games Record: 50.85 – Jason Dunford, KEN (2009)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Michele Busa (ITA) – 51.52
2. Ole Eidam (GER) – 52.03
3. Gianmarco Sansone (ITA) – 52.07
4. Kim Jihun (KOR) – 52.07
5. Bjoern Kamman (GER) – 52.24
6. Eldor Usmonov (UZB) – 52.30
7. Ihor Troianovskyi (UKR) – 52.32
8. Wan Kuan-hun (TPE) – 52.35

Ruard van Renen had about five minutes between the final of the 50 backstroke and his semifinal of the 100 fly, and the fatigue told for him as he finished 8th in semifinal 1 in 55.14.

Ole Eidam was out fastest in that heat , going out in 23.89 to take the lead over Italian Michele Busa. However the Italian stormed home in 27.39 to touch in 51.52, a new best by more than half a second and one which makes him the second-fastest Italian this season.

Eidam held on for 2nd with a second 50 of 28.14, a new best for the German swimmer as well, with Gianmarco Sansone in 3rd and Korea’s Kim Jihun in 4th.

A much closer second semi saw six swimmers come into the wall together, but it was top seed Germany’s Bjoern Kamman who took the win in 52.24. The top five were separated by less than two-tenths, and Patrick Hussey ended up missing the final by eight-hundredths off a second after placing 5th.

Second through tenth were separated by just 0.33 seconds in the end, with Wang Kuan0hung, the silver medalist in the 200 fly, the last man in in 52.35. We very nearly had a three-way swim-off for the final, as Thomas Nankervis and Kamal Muhammad tied for 9th in 52.36

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgenia Chikunova, RUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 2:19.64– Viktoriya Gunes, TUR (2015)
• World University Games Record: 2:22.32 – Rie Kaneto, JPN (2009)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Yumeno Kusuda (JPN) – 2:26.15
2. Yuyumi Obatake (JPN) – 2:28.17
3. Aina Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP) – 2:28.48
4. Aliz Kalmar (HUN) – 2:28.82
5. Katie Christopherson (USA) – 2:29.55
6. Francesca Zucca (ITA) – 2:29.56
7. Lisa Nystrand (SWE) – 2:30.49
8. Anna Pirovano (ITA) – 2:34.27

Yumeno Kusuda was out fastest by nearly half a second on the first 50 in 33.28, leading Hungary’s Aliz Kalmar and her teammate Yuyumi Obatake. She extended that lead to one and a half seconds at the 100 mark with a split of 1:10.33 ahead of Aina Fernandez Gonzalez, who was hunting Spain’s first medal of the Games.

Katie Christopherson moved up into 3rd at the 15o meter mark, as Kusuda turned for home with a lead of nearly two seconds. However the final 50 saw Obatake storm home in 37.91, one of only two splits under 38 seconds along with Aliz Kalmar, as she ended up 2nd in 2:28.17.

However it was all Kusuda as she led a procession into the wall, touching in 2:26.15 to take the win and give Japan their second gold medal of the meet. Gonzalez held on to take bronze, with Christopherson falling to 5th for the U.S., three seconds off her best from U.S. Nationals at the start of June

Anna Pirovano, doubling up after swimming the 200 IM semifinals earlier tonight, finished 8th in 2:34.27, eight seconds off her best time from this year’s Italian Championships.

MIXED 4×100 FREESTYLE RELAY– FINAL

• World Record: 3:18.83 – Australia, (2023)
• World University Games Record: 3:25.38 – CHN (2023)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. USA – 3:24.27 *WUG Record*
2. Japan – 3:26.86
3. South Africa – 3:28.51
4. Italy – 3:28.57
5. Poland – 3:30.38
6. Cyprus – 3:30.73
7. Portugal – 3:31.22
8. Switzerland – 3:31.40

All eight teams went with the now-standard M-M-F-F lineup, with Team USA’s Matt King leading out the field in 22.96 after winning the individual 100 earlier in the session. He was half a second ahead of Poland, who had Italy and Poland in close attendance. He handed over to David King in 48.28,  half a second ahead of Japan in second place. Cal’s Nikolas Antoniou touched 7th for Cyprus in 49.64

Takaki Hara threw down a 48.13 split on the second leg as he closed the gap on the first 50 to just a 0.14 seconds. but David King pulled away slightly on the second half of the leg. Ruard van Renen, on his third swim in an hour, split 49.20 to put South Africa 5th at halfway.

Isabel Ivey extended the lead for the U.S. by over a second with a 54.13 split, as South Africa’s Olivia Nel brough them up into 3rd with 100 to go, splitting 54.72. Kalia Antoniou, who swam at Alabama, moved Cyprus up three places into fifth with a swim of 54.47.

Maxine Parker led the U.S. home with a split of 53.51 to match her time from the mixed medley relay, and had the only sub-54 split from the women in this field. Rio Suzuki brought Japan home in 54.62 to win silver in 3:26.86.

South Africa won their second relay medal of the meet, as Michaela de Villiers had a gutsy final leg, losing a place to Italy’s Agata Ambler on the first 50 before getting the touch by just 0.06 seconds, 3:28.51 to 3:28.57

The U.S. broke the Universiade Record by over a second, touching in 3:24.27. That is the third relay record they have set at this meet, and makes it three records set by U.S. swimmers tonight.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – SWIMOFF

• World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• World Junior Record: 50.62– Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
• World University Games Record: 50.85 – Jason Dunford, KEN (2009)

1. Kamal Muhammad (USA) – 51.90
2. Thomas Nankervis (AUS) – 52.07

Thomas Nankervis had the slightly better start, but Kamal Mohammad pulled alongside the Australian as the two swimmers were separated by just 0.07 seconds at the halfway mark. Muhammad pulled away on the underwater off the wall, and despite Nankervis closing slightly in the final ten meters it was the American who touched first in 51.90, 0.01 off his best.

That would have placed him 2nd in the semifinals earlier on tonight, with Nankervis’ time of 52.07 also being enough to have made the top eight if he had swum it earlier on. Instead, Muhammad will now be the first reserve for the final.