2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 11th – February 18th, 2024
- Doha, Qatar
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Official Entries
- Live Results
- How To Watch
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
- Day 6 Prelims Recap | Day 6 Finals Recap
American Nic Fink scored bronze in the men’s 200 breaststroke final at 2:08.85, his third individual medal of the meet. Teammate Jake Foster, though in medal contention, faded to fourth at 2:09.31 after leading semi-finals.
Fink is now the second man in history to medal in all three LC Worlds men’s breast events, all one year after China’s Qin Haiyang swept the 50/100/200 breast in Fukuoka.
USA teammate Claire Curzan is also on a similar path Fink explored, looking to not just medal, but sweep all three discipline events. After winning both the 50 and 100 back events thus far, Curzan leads the 200 back finals seeds at 2:07.01. If to win or even medal, Curzan would become the second woman to either win or medal in all three women’s backstroke events. Last year, Australia’s Kaylee McKeown struck triple gold in the 50/100/200 back in Fukuoka.
American Kate Douglass earned a repeat silver medal in the women’s 200 breast at 2:20.91, more than a second off champion Tes Schouten of the Netherlands (2:19.81). Under an hour beforehand, Douglass was just off the podium in the women’s 100 free, placing fourth at 53.02. Along with Douglass’ double gold (200 IM, mixed 4×100 medley relay), this silver medal marks Douglass’ third medal here in Doha.
Canada’s Sydney Pickrem made it back onto the 200 breast podium with a bronze medal time of 2:22.94. Pickrem was last on this event podium at 2019 Gwangju Worlds, also placing third there. Pickrem is now a two-time medalist here in Doha, adding this bronze to her 200 IM silver.
After qualifying a scary 8th into the men’s 4×200 free relay, a freshened up Luke Hobson put Team USA into the early lead at 1:45.26. Carson Foster, already a two-time 2024 medalist, torched a new career best split of 1:43.94 to give the US relay a three second lead. Backstroke champion Hunter Armstrong dropped a second off his prelims split at 1:45.73, giving distance specialist David Johnston a big lead before Asian anchors 16-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo of China and 200 free champion Hwang Sunwoo of Korea.
As the Asian big guns kept the China V. Korea battle hype, with China’s Zhang holding off Korea’s Hwang for gold, Johnston held on to give the US another bronze medal. Johnston’s efforts gave Foster a third medal, Armstrong a third relay medal ontop of his individual title for four, and Hobson a third bronze medal.
American sprint specialist Michael Andrew qualified 8th into the men’s 50 free final at 21.77. Australia’s Cameron McEvoy is the top seed at 21.23, a tenth off his leading prelims effort (21.13). McEvoy’s semi-finals effort is 0.18s off Andrew’s 2022 Budapest silver medal time of 21.41. Andrew has an entry time of 21.64, which ranks fourth among the current finals seeds. So far, Andrew grabbed 50 fly silver but then placed 11th in 50 breast semi-finals.
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Meanwhile, fellow American Zach Harting avenged his 200 fly finals miss by squeaking 8th into the men’s 100 fly final tomorrow at 51.78. Teammate Shaine Casas shut down on the back half in the same heat, placing 16th overall at 52.75.
- Newly-minted 200 IM champion Finlay Knox of Canada was also in the men’s 100 fly semi-finals mix, placing 12th at 52.07.
- American 17-year-old Lilla Bognar placed 10th in the women’s 200 back semi-finals at 2:11.26. Two-time bronze medalist Ingrid Wilm of Canada placed 13th in the same event at 2:11.88.
- American Matt King saw a familiar 7th-place heat finish on the mega-screen in the men’s 50 free semi-finals, placing 14th overall at 21.99. Previously, King placed 7th in the men’s 100 free final.
- UVA redshirt Jack Aikins was in medal contention in the men’s 200 back final, but faded to fourth at 1:56.21.
North American Medals Table Through Day 6
| GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL | |
| United States | 6 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| Canada | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
