Zhang Yufei Crushes 50 FL WUGS Record by a Half-Second, Gallagher Rips S. African Record

2023 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES

• August 1-7, 2023
• Dong’an Lake Sports Park Swimming and Diving Hall, Chengdu, China
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Page
• Live Results + Schedule
• Live Stream Schedule (All Sports)
• Day 1 Finals Live Stream
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap| Day 1 Finals Live Recap

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden – 24.43 (2014)
• WUGS Record: Lu Ying, China – 25.72 (2015)

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Zhang Yufei (China) – 25.29 (Championship Record)
2. Erin Gallagher (South Africa) – 25.71
3. Viola Scotto (Italy) – 26.01
4. Sonia Laquintana (Italy) – 26.19
5. Natsuki Hiroshita (Japan) – 26.28
6. Paulina Peda (Poland) – 26.51
7. Emilie Beckmann (Denmark) – 26.60 (TIE)
8. Kinge Zandringa (Netherlands) – 26.60 (TIE)

The semifinals of the women’s 50 fly tonight at the 2023 WUGS in Chengdu saw a ton of action. The WUGS Championship Record got broken twice, once in each of the two semifinals heats. Firstly, South African Erin Gallagher won the first heat of the semis in 25.71, clipping the previous CR by 0.01 seconds. The record was previously held by China’s Lu Ying, who set the mark of 25.72 back at the 2015 Games.

Not only did Gallagher initially break the Championship Record with her performance tonight, the swim also marked a huge South African Record in the event. Gallagher held the previous South African Record herself at 26.05, a time which she swam last summer at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. So, with the performance tonight, Gallagher blew right through the 26-second barrier for the first time in her personal and South African history.

Gallagher’s Championship Record would only last 2 or 3 minutes, however, as Chinese star Zhang Yufei came around in the 2nd heat of semifinals tonight and blasted a 25.29, obliterating the WUGS Record. It was a very solid performance to Yufei, who won gold in the women’s 100 fly at the World Championships last week in Fukuoka.

Time-wise, Yufei was just under a quarter-of-a-second off her personal best of 25.05, which she swam for silver 3 days ago in Fukuoka. That 25.05 also marks the Chinese and Asian Records in the event. Given the way Yufei improved from prelims to semifinals to finals in Fukuoka, it would seem there’s a decent chance she lowers the WUGS Record again tomorrow in finals.

As far as Gallagher’s swim goes, her 25.71 tonight would have been good for 6th in Fukuoka 3 days ago.