2025 World University Games
- July 17th-23rd, 2025
- Berlin, Germany
- LCM (50 Meters)
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We are onto penultimate day of the World University Games here in Berlin, and with the U.S. dominating the medal table it is no surprise to see them with the top seed in every event this morning.
Daniel Diehl is the top seed in the men’s 200 backstroke, and after setting best times and winning bronze in both the 50 and 100 will be the hot favorite to take the win tomorrow night. He is entered in a time of 1:55.08, one of three 1:55s along with fellow American David King (1:55.64) and Aleksei Tkachev (1:55.80), who has been off his best so far this week. King has delivered some monster freestyle relay splits and was 53.91 leading off the mixed medley relay in the heats , looking in good form to push his teammate in this event.
Maxine Parker will look to upgrade her 100 freestyle bronze in the 50, and comes in as the top seed in 24.41. Julia Dennis is the second-fastest entrant with her best of 24.57, and has dropped more than half a second in the event so far this year. Cyprus’ Kalia Antoniou, the bronze medalist from two years ago, is the only other women entered under 25 seconds in 24.96.
Olivia Nel, who dropped a second in the 100 free to finish 4th, just 0.02 seconds behind Parker, and has already set two South African records in the 50 back in Berlin, could be strong contender. She is the 7th seed in 25.28.
Matt King returns after winning the 100 free last night and will want to stake his claim on the 50 in the heats today. He is the only swimmer entered under 22 seconds, and after being right on his best in the 100 will back himself to get down into 21-second range for the first time this year.
Lucas Peixoto, who won silver at the last edition in Chengdu, is entered in that same position in 22.02, just ahead of King’s teammate Daniel Baltes. Germany’s Ole Eidam and Romania’s Patrick Dinu, both of whom dropped a decent amount of time in the 100 free, will be good shouts to be faster than their entry times of 22.56 and 22.40 respectively.
Tess Howley and Lindsay Looney lead a U.S. 1-2 into the 200 fly heats, with the pair entered more than a second clear of China’s Yu Liyan. This will be the first swim of the meet for Howley, but Lindsay threw down a 1:59.4 split on the 200 free relay so is looking strong. Ciara Schlosshan returns after finishing an agonising 4th in the 100 fly, and Paola Borrelli of Italy, the 4th seed in 2:08.94, is the only other swimmer from that final who is in the field here.
The winner of the 50 breast, Emma Weber, is the top seed in the 100 today by just under half a second, as she leads Shona Branton (1:06.59) and Francesca Zucca (1:07.14). Japan’s gold and silver medalists from the 200, Yumeno Kusuda and Yuyumi Obatake, are both in the final heat this morning with Obatake the 4th seed in 1:07.23. Kusuda is enterd on just 1:09.37, and after going out in 1:10.33 last night will expect to be faster than that.
The U.S. hold the top seed in all five individual events, and add a sixth with the fastest entry in the men’s 4×200 free relay. The team of Mitchell Schott, Jack Dahlgren. Ryan Erisman and Owen McDonald will be trying to stake their place for a spot on the finals team tonight, where they U.S. will try to keep their dream of a relay sweep alive after winning five-from-five so far
Top Seeds
- Men’s 200 back: Daniel Diehl (USA) – 1:55.08
- Women’s 50 free: Maxine Parker (USA) – 24.41
- Men’s 50 free: Matt King (USA) – 21.70
- Women’s 50 back: Tess Howley (USA) – 2:06.79
- Women’s 100 breast: Emma Weber (USA) – 1:06.10
