2025 World University Games: Day 6 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 | Day 6
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Finals Preview

Welcome to the second-to-last finals session of the 2025 World University Games. It has been an exciting ride so far, and tonight holds the potential for more.

This will be our last night with semifinals, with all five of the prelims events from this morning having their semifinal tonight and their final tomorrow.

There are seven finals events, which means seven opportunities for countries to move their way up the medal table.

We also have at least two opportunities for WUGs records, with Leah Hayes breaking the 200 IM record in yesterday’s semifinal and coming in as the top seed for tonight’s final where she will get a chance to rebreak it, and Leah Shackley doing the same in the women’s 50 backstroke.

We will end the session with the men’s 800 freestyle relay, where the United States men rattled the WUGs record in the prelims this morning without their two fastest swimmers on the relay. While that event isn’t shaping up to be a “race” between the U.S. and the 2nd place team, it could be a race between them and Russia’s 2013 record.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• 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 Finishers:

1. Gianmarco Sansone (ITA)- 51.40
2. Björn Kammann (GER)- 51.70
3. Eldorbek Usmonov (UZB)- 51.84
4. Michele Busa (ITA)- 52.06
5. Wang Kuan Hung (TPE)- 52.18
6. Ole Mats Eidam (GER)- 52.31
7. Kim Jihun (KOR)- 52.31
8. Ihor Troianovskyi (UKR)- 52.36

Gianmarco Sansone won the men’s 100 fly gold medal for Italy, touching in 51.40 to win the event by three tenths of a second. This was a new best time for him, improving from the 52.01 mark he set at the end of June.

Germany’s Björn Kammann took 2nd in 51.70, 14-hundredths ahead of Eldorbek Usmonov from Uzbekistan who earned the bronze in 51.84.

Sansone was out three tenths behind the leaders after the first 50, turning in 24.09, but his closing 50 of 27.31 was the fastest in the field by about three tenths.

Kammann was also out behind the leaders, turning in 4th at 24.10 before coming home in 27.60, the 2nd fastest 50 split.

Usmonov was in first at the turn in 23.78, but he had one of the slowest final 50s, splitting 28.06 to fall back to 3rd.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE –FINAL

• 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 Finishers:

1. Cavan Gormsen (USA)- 1:57.21
2. Ai Yanhan (CHN)- 1:57.55
3. Isabel Ivey (USA)- 1:57.58
4. Francisca Soares Martins (POR)- 1:57.85
5. Lucile Tessariol (FRA)- 1:58.39
6. Nicole Maier (GER)- 1:58.76
7. Julie Brousseau (CAN)- 1:58.87
8. Giulia D’Innocenzo (ITA)- 1:58.90

Cavan Gormsen had a monster back half of the women’s 200 freestyle to move from 8th to first and take the gold medal for the United States in 1:57.21

She was out in 58.61 on the first 100, almost two seconds behind the leader Isabel Ivey, splitting 28.33/30.28. She slowly started chopping away at the lead, flipping in 4th at the 150 mark, but she was still over a second behind Ivey. On the final 50, she came home in 29.13 to pass the remaining three athletes and snag the gold by three tenths over China’s Ai Yanhan.

Her time was a new personal best by almost a second, dropping from the 1:58.07 she went in June.

Ai sat in 2nd for the whole race, coming in behind Ivey for the first 150, and then passed Ivey, but fell victim to Gormsen’s closing speed, ultimately retaining her 2nd place position with her final 50 split of 30.25

Ivey dropped back to 3rd after leading the first 3/4s due to her 30.60 final 50 split, earning the bronze for the United States.

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 7:32.12 – Lin Zhang, CHN (2009)
• World Junior Record: 7:43.37 – Lorenzo Galossi, ITA (2022)
• World University Games Record: 7:45.76 – Gregorio Paltrinieri, ITA (2017)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Aleksandr Stepanov (AIN)- 7:46.51
2. Tommaso Griffante (ITA)- 7:50.50
3. Ryan Erisman (USA)- 7:51.74
4. Davide Marchello (ITA)- 7:54.73
5. Joao Campos (BRA)- 7:56.43
6. Simon Reinke (GER)- 8:01.16
7. Kyo Nakayama (JPN)- 8:02.55
8. Daichi Yamamoto (JPN)- 8:10.52

Aleksandr Stepanov won his 2nd distance freestyle gold of the meet, touching 1st in the men’s 800 in 7:46.51, almost four seconds ahead of the 2nd place finisher Tommaso Griffante from Italy.

Stepanov turned at 3rd in the first 50, but by the 200 mark he took over the lead, and he stayed there for the remainder of the race.

He almost even split his race, flipping at 3:53.07 on the first 400, and coming home in 3:53.48.

Griffante of Italy swam a similar race, turning in 4th at the 50 mark, and then quidkly moving into 2nd by the 200m mark, and setting up shop in that position.

He was not quite as consistent as Stepanov, but he still swam a strong race, splitting 3:53.92 on the first 400 and 3:56.58 on the 2nd.

Ryan Erisman grabbed the bronze for the united States, touching three seconds ahead of 4th after he was 3rd the whole race. He also pretty much even split the swim at 3:55.05/3:56.69.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE– FINAL

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS, (2023)
• World Junior Record: 27.49 – Minna Atherton, AUS (2016)
• World University Games Record: 27.66 – Leah Shackley, USA (2025)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Leah Shackley (USA)- 27.31 **NEW WUGS RECORD
2. Kennedy Noble (USA)- 27.67
3. Olivia Nel (RSA)- 27.91
4. Adela Piskorska (POL)_ 28.31
5. Michaela De Villiers (RSA)- 28.37
6. Federica Toma (ITA)- 28.45
7. Lee Eunji (KOR)- 28.66
8. Francesca Pasquino (ITA)- 28.70

NC State is making a statement in the backstroke events, with the whole women’s 50 back podium coming from the Wolfpack.

Leah Shackley broke her day old WUGS record to win the event for the United States, touching in 27.31 to knock another three tenths off the 27.66 she swam in yesterday’s semifinal.

Teammate, in both college and country, Kennedy Noble finished 2nd in 27.67, just under three tenths ahead of 3rd place finisher Olivia Nel.

Nel, from South Africa, also trains at NC State, and she won the bronze in 27.91 to be the last athlete in the final under 28 seconds.

Men’s 200 Backstroke– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 1:51.92- Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• Junior World Record: 1:55.14- Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• World University Games Record: 1:54.13- Ryosuke Irie, JPN (2009)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. David King (USA)- 1:57.54
2. Mathys Chouchaoui (FRA)- 1:57.72
3. Aleksei Tkachev (AIN)- 1:58.00
4. Daniel Diehl (USA)- 1:58.17
5. Benjamin Loewen (CAN)- 1:58.78
6. Stuart Swinburn (AUS)- 1:59.08
7. Pietro Ubertalli (ITA)- 1:59.25
8. Ricardo Matias Santos (POR)- 1:59.30

David King won the 2nd semifinal to take the top seed in tomorrow’s final in very comfortable fashion, touching a little over half-a-second ahead of Daniel Diehl, who finished 2nd in his heat.

King was 2nd at the 50, two-hundredths behind Diehl, turning in 26.88. He quickly took over the lead and started building on it, turning in 56.31 at the 100. he split 30.39/30.84 on the back half to secure his win.

The first semifinal saw an exciting race between France’s Mathys Chouchaoui and Aleksei Tkachev, from the Neutral Athletes.

Tkachev led through the first 150 in commanding fashion over Chouchaoui who was a second-and-a-half behind at the 100 mark, splitting 56.65 to Chouchaoui’s 58.10. The Frenchman started hacking away at Tkachev’s lead, though, picking up half-a-second on the 3rd 50 to sit just a second behind at the 150 mark, though he was still in 6th overall.

On the final 50, he split a blistering 29.37 to take over the lead and earn the 2nd seed for tomorrow’s final. Tkachev came home in 30.70 to grab 2nd in the heat and the 3rd overall seed.

WOMEN’s 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh , CAN (2025)
• World Junior Record: 2:06.56 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World University Games Record: 2:10.01– Leah Hayes, USA (2025)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Leah Hayes (USA)- 2:09.48 **NEW WUGS RECORD
2. Teagan O’Dell (USA)- 2:11.24
3. Ashley McMillan (CAN)- 2:12.63
4. Chiara Della Corte (ITA)- 2:13.03
5. Iana Shakirova (AIN)- 2:14.13
6. Camille Tissandie (FRA)- 2:14.62
7. Rio Sato (JPN)- 2:15.31
8. Ge Chutong (CHN)- 2:17.28

Leah Hayes dropped time from the semifinals in the women’s 200 IM, touching in 2:09.48 to break her newly minted WUGs record and take the gold medal for the United States.

She swam a very strong race, with most of her improvement form yesterday coming from the first 100, where she split 1:00.95 to turn in 2nd place after the backstroke. Yesterday, she was 1:01.48.

She had the fastest 50 breaststroke in the field, splitting 37.48 to take over the lead by almost two seconds going into the freestyle leg. On the final 50, she was 31.05 to lock up the gold medal and the WUGs record.

Teagan O’Dell took 2nd in 2:11.24. She led for the first 100 of the race, splitting 1:00.28 on the first 100. She struggled on the breaststroke leg, swimming 40.20 to drop back into 3rd. She made up that ground though with a very strong final 50, splitting 30.76 to be the only sub-31 swimmer in the field and earn the silver medal.

Ashley McMillan rounded out the North American podium, finishing 3rd in 2:12.63 for Canada.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 1:04.13- Lilly King, USA (2017)
• Junior World Record: 1:04.35- Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• World University Games Record: 1:05.48- Yulia Efimova, RUS (2013)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Emma Weber (USA)- 1:07.28
2. Shona Branton (CAN)- 1:07.82
3. Simone Moll (RSA)- 1:07.94
4. Barbara Mazurkiewicz (POL)- 1:08.15
5. Aliz Kalmar (HUN)- 1:08.31
6. Lara van Niekerk (RSA)- 1:08.46
7. Francesca Zucca (ITA)- 1:08.89
8. Yuyumi Obatake (JPN)- 1:09.05

Emma Weber locked up the middle lane for tomorrow’s 100 breast final, touching in 1:07.28, more than half-a-second ahead of Canada’s Shona Branton who swam 1:07.82 for the 2nd seed.

Weber was 2nd at the 50 mark, turning in 31.49 to Lara van Niekerk’s 31.45, but her final 50 of 35.79 was the fastest in the heat, vaulting her into first overall. Branton also had a strong final 50, splitting 36.00.

Simone Moll from South Africa finished 3rd, stopping the clock in 1:07.94 as the last swimmer in the semifinal under 1:08.

Moll swam a similar race to Weber, splitting 32.28 on the first 50 to make the turn in 5th in the first heat. She had the fastest final 50 split in the entire 16-swimmer field, coming in at 35.66 to move into 1st.

Tomorrow’s final looks like it will be a race in that final 50 to see who will take home the gold.

Men’s 50 Freestyle– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 20.91- Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009)
• Junior World Record: 21.75- Michael Andrew, USA (2017)
• World University Games Record: 21.67 Vladimir Morozov, RUS (2013)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Matt King (USA)- 21.93
2. Jokubas Keblys (LTU)- 22.07
3. Illia Linnyk (UKR)- 22.08
4. Daniel Baltes (USA)- 22.13
5. Elias Funch Persson (SWE)- 22.15
6. Giovanni Guatti (ITA)- 22.17
7. Andrea Candela (ITA)- 22.18
8. Lucas Peixoto (BRA)- 22.27

Matt King will be the top seed in tomorrow’s 50 freestyle final, coming in at 21.93 to earn the top seed by a little more than a tenth, and be the only swimmer under 22 seconds.

Jokubas Keblys won the first semifinal in 22.07, coming in just one-hunredth ahead of Illia Linnyk from Ukraine to take the 2nd seed.

Linnyk will be the 3rd seed, and Daniel Baltes from the United States will be the 4th seed after taking 2nd in the 2nd semifinal heat.

Italy also put both athletes through to the semifinal with Giovanni Guatti finishing 6th and Andrea Candela taking 7th.

the whole field is just over three tenths apart, making the final anyone’s game tomorrow.

Men’s 50 BREASTSTROKE– FINAL

• 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 Finishers:

1. Federico Rizzardi (ITA)- 27.14
2. Reo Okura (JPN)- 27.33
3. Dawid Wiekiera (POL)- 27.46
4. Nate Germonprez (USA)- 27.55
5. Jeremias Pock (GER)- 27.65
6. Henrique Fonseca (BRA)/Archie Gooburn (GBR)- 27.73
7. —
8. Vojtech Janecek (CZE)- 27.74

Federico Rizzardi stopped the clock in 27.14, grabbing the 2nd gold medal of this session for Italy, winning the men’s 50 breaststroke by almost two tenths.

Japan’s Reo Okura finished 2nd in 27.33, earning his first medal of the meet.

Dawid Wiekiera was 3rd from all the way in lane seven, swimming 27.46 to beat the American Nate Germonprez by just under a tenth-of-a-second.

Women’s 200 Butterfly– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 2:01.81- Zige Liu, CHN (2009)
• Junior World Record: 2:03.03- Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World University Games Record: 2:05.83- Audrey Lacroix, CAN (2007)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Tess Howley (USA)- 2:05.20 **NEW WUGS RECORD
2. Lindsay Looney (USA)-2:07.98
3. Ciara Schlosshan (GBR)- 2:09.48
4. Yu Liyan (CHN)- 2:09.56
5. Paola Borrelli (ITA)- 2:09.82
6. Ayami Suzuki (JPN)- 2:11.11
7. Laura Ilyes (HUN)- 2:11.39
8. Antonella Crispino (ITA)- 2:11.74

Tess Howley swam an absolutely massive 200 fly, dropping more than a second from her previous best time to break the 18-year-old WUGS record by more than half-a-second.

Her time of 2:05.20 would have won U.S. Nationals in June, and it makes her the 3rd fastest American swimmer in history. It is also the 2nd fastest time in the world this year, only behind Canada’s Summer McIntosh.

Howley was out in 59.83, the only swimmer under 1:00 in the 16-person field. She came home in 1:04.37 to win the event by almost three seconds over 2nd seed Lindsay Looney.

Looney came in at 2:07.98, which won her semifinal by almost two seconds after she led from wire-to wire, splitting 1:00.78/1:07.20.

Ciara Schlosshan from Great Britian will be the 3rd seed, coming in at 2:09.48, just under a tenth ahead of China’s Yu Liyan who swam 2:09.56 for 4th

Women’s 50 Freestyle– SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 23.61- Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2023)
• Junior World Record: 24.17- Claire Curzan, USA (2021)
• World University Games Record: 24.29- Zhang Yufei, CHN (2023)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Julia Dennis (USA)- 24.55
2. Olivia Nel (RSA)- 24.96
3. Viola Scotto Di Carlo (ITA)- 25.01
4. Maxine Parker (USA)- 25.03
5. Lison Nowaczyk (FRA)- 25.10
6. Beatrix Tanko (HUN)- 25.12
7. Agata Ambler (ITA)- 25.20
8. Kalia Antoniou (CYP)- 25.21

Julia Dennis is separating herself as the clear favorite for tomorrow’s 50 free final, winning the semifinal by more than four tenths over South Africa’s Olivia Nel.

Nel, who is coming off a 3rd place finish in the women’s 50 backstroke won semifinal number one in 24.96 as the only other athlete under 25.

Viola Scotto Di Carlo took 3rd in 25.01, just two-hundredths ahead of American Maxine Parker‘s 25.03 for 4th.

Spots 2-8 are separated by 0.25 seconds, making an exciting race for the silver tomorrow.

Men’s 800 Free Relay– FINAL

• World Record: 6:58.55- United States, 2009
• Junior World Record: 3:15.49- United States, 2019
• World University Games Record: 7:05.49- Russia, 2013

Top 8 Teams:

1. United States- 7:04.51 **NEW WUGS RECORD
2. Individual Neutral Athletes- 7:08.33
3. Japan- 7:09.47
4. Brazil- 7:12.01
5. Italy- 7:13.83
6. Malaysia- 7:19.66
7. Australia- 7:20.20
8. Switzerland- 7:25.78

The American men continued their relay sweep with a dominant victory in the men’s 800 freestyle relay, breaking the World University Games record in the process.

Their final time of 7:04.51 shattered the former record of 7:05.49 that was set by Russia back in 2013.

Mitchell Schott followed up his massive 200 free best time from the prelims with another drop leading off the relay tonight in 1:46.06 (24.73/26.23/27.24/27.75), which would have won the 200 freestyle at this meet. His previous best was 1:47.79, which he swam less than a month ago.

Schott touched in 2nd, just behind Nikolai Kolesnikov (25.19/26.48/27.08/27.27) who led off for the Neutral Athletes in 1:46.02.

Baylor Nelson, the bronze medalist in the 200 free, swam 1:46.52 on the 2nd leg for the United States. He split24.31/26.77/27.42/28.02 to quickly take over the lead before he handed off to Jack Dahlgren.

Dahlgren had the fastest split this morning at 1:46.11, and he repeated that performance tonight, dropping almost a second from his prelims split to touch in 1:45.14. He split 23.96/26.48/27.39/27.41 to secure a two-and-a-half second lead for the U.S.

His fastest flat start time stands at 1:46.58 from the U.S. Nationals in June.

Jake Mitchell, the 200 free gold medalist, anchored the American men in 1:46.79, splitting 23.89/26.66/27.93/28.31 to lock up the gold medal for the United States.