2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
After cruising to a world title in the men’s 100 breaststroke by over a second, Qin Haiyang wasn’t satisfied with his personal-best time of 57.69 on Monday night. Instead, the 24-year-old Chinese standout set his sights on Adam Peaty’s lofty world record of 56.88 from 2019.
“That is a pretty good time,” Qin said. “That is my best time. But I can do better. I will catch up to the world record.”
Peaty has been in a league of his own since first breaking the world record with a 57.92 in 2015, clocking the top 17 times ever in the event before Qin’s winning mark on Monday night slotted in at No. 15. After becoming just the third man ever under 58 seconds at Chinese Nationals in May, Qin overtook 27-year-old Dutchman Arno Kamminga as the second-fastest performer of all time.
Behind Qin, Kamminga found himself in a three-way tie for second place along with Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi and 30-year-old American Nic Fink (58.72).
“I’m really happy,” Kamminga said. “It’s been a really rough year for me. Pretty tough. I had to take a year out of the pool. We were sick so many times last year. And then starting from nothing going back to racing in five months. It’s been really rough. A lot of challenges so it’s nice to be back and winning at the end.”
Fink described the confusion as he realized he’d be sharing his silver medal with two other competitors.
“It’s a slow process because I look at my name and I see it too and then I kind of see everyone else’s reaction and I’m like, ‘wait what’s happening?’” Fink recalled. “I see, oh, I actually tied Arno for second. That’s great. And Nicolò is also celebrating. I’m like, wait a minute ‘1, 2, 3’? Oh, he’s also second too!
“So it was a slow process of kind of realizing what was going on,” he said. “But again, those guys are great and the fact that we’re all going at the same time here, it goes to show how close the competition really is in breaststroke.”
Zhang Yufei secured her first LCM world title in the women’s 100 butterfly (56.12) after previously collecting seven bronze medals at Worlds.
“This is my first gold medal and world championship,” Zhang said. “This is my happiest time and I feel wonderful and amazing. I feel very excited, but it is not just because I got the gold, it is because I am competing with a lot of old friends. I really admire them and appreciate them for their company. I hope I can maintain relationships with them in the long term.”
Canadian silver medalist Maggie MacNeil (56.45) and defending world champion Torri Huske (56.61) said they were grateful just to get on the podium against a stacked field that also featured Emma McKeon (56.88).
“Honestly I am more happy with the placing than I am than about the time,” MacNeil said. “Sure, I would have hoped to be faster, but that’s something I still need to work towards for next year. But it’s always nice to stay back on the international stage.”
“I was super excited to race them — I mean like you said, this is an amazing field, and I’m very grateful that I got on the podium,” Huske said. “Third is a really big deal especially after I got touched out in Tokyo.”
In the men’s 50 butterfly, Diogo Ribeiro touched second in 22.80 behind Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (22.68) to become the first Portuguese swimmer ever to medal at Worlds. Ribeiro, the world junior record holder in the event, said the runner-up finish was even more meaningful after a motorcycle accident nearly cut his career short in 2021.
“I’m very emotional right now at this moment because of all the work that me and my team have dealt with in the past year,” Ribeiro said. “It was just amazing. And probably, you know, that I have an accident. A motorcycle accident. So all the way to get here and get a medal from it. I can’t explain.
“It’s the first medal (for Portugal). It’s very important for us. And in the prelims and in the semi-final was not that good. I wasn’t expecting this at all. But now I’m super happy, and I just want to enjoy it with my team.”
Bronze medalist Maxime Grousset (22.82) said he took an extra stroke at the finish, but that mistake seems like it will only serve as further motivation moving forward.
“On my last stroke I made one more stroke and I think it was a mistake,” Grousset said. “So third is pretty good but I want to be first next time.”
In the women’s 200 IM, Kate Douglass (2:07.17) and Alex Walsh (2:07.97) gave the Americans their first 1-2 finish of the meet so far while Yu Yiting kept the momentum going for China by snagging bronze (2:08.74).
“I am really happy about that race,” Douglass said. “I really just wanted to get the gold for ‘Team USA’ tonight and I am so happy that I did that. I think this year I just tried to conserve a little bit more energy in the prelims, and I think I did a great job with that. I was ready to race tonight.”
“I knew that she was going to be out really fast right next to me so I just wanted to make sure that she was not too far ahead,” said Walsh, who has trained with Douglass for the past few years at the University of Virginia. “I know my strength is my middle one-hundred. I really just wanted to have some good splits there and then really race on that last fifty. I am happy with my execution and I hope this will motivate me to have a good year heading into Paris.
“I know exactly how Kate and all the other girls swim that race so I knew I just had to battle it,” Walsh added. “Obviously I wasn’t where I was last year but there is a lot to learn after that. I’m happy with my swim.”
“I’m so happy about today’s race because this is my goal and I achieved it,” Yu said. “That’s why I’m very excited and very happy. First of all, I want to thank China because China helped me a lot. China gave all the support and help I needed. And second, I want to say thank you to my coach. He is the one who made me who I am. And of course, I really want to say thank you to my parents. I know they are in front of TV and watching my race. That’s why I want to say thank you to all of them.”
don’t start calling out the goat when you’re still a second behind that WR. Peaty is still more likeable than this guy.
Don’t think he’s calling out peaty by any means, looks like he cares more about breaking a world record
Having goals is calling out people now …
How do you know he’s unlikeable?
Not a fan of Peaty who often seems arrogant. I don’t know anything about this guy and can’t comment. I don’t know how you can tell one is more likeable than another.
Fink: “it goes to show how close the competition really is in breaststroke.” But comes joint second, over a second behind the winner!
In all seriousness, just when one dominant breastroker exits the stage, another one comes out of the woodwork from seemingly nowhere to be just as dominant over the rest.
Gotta feel for the likes of Fink and Kamminga having no chance of ever hitting the top podium (LC at least) despite being amongst the best of their generation for many years.
The Chinese guy has a stroke that looks like Peaty + Kitajima + Hanson put together. He has power and no lag or dead spots like Peaty, he’s got good DPS like Kitajima, and on top of the water his recovery looks like Hanson.
Agree with the others below about his stroke. Would love to see a stroke analysis, especially how (if any) it’s different from when he was a junior.
It’s a shame the East German swimming cloud hangs over some of these results. A little drop of oil can spoil a reservoir of clean water.
Peaty’s WR won’t last more that 10 years. Simply because he can’t do a pull out
If you looked at his performances in 2019-2021, Peaty had massively improved his pullouts. He’s by no means the leader but he was consistently holding his ground instead of losing it of the wall
He’s good at pullouts but he’s not a step above the world. When you look at the records that have lasted the longest like Phelps in the 4IM or the mens 200 free they were the greatest in essentially every aspect of the race. I don’t think we’ll see someone match his swim speed for decades but his weakness makes the record touchable. The reason phelps lost his record was because he was “weak” in the BR split but anyone splitting 1:10 is in medal contention at worlds. Same as mens 200 free to get the record you need to be out 50 but Biedermann back ended the race. Peaty only being average for 30% of the race is his… Read more »
Of course he’ll do it and a beautiful stroke he has 🙂
Peaty is a quitter like Dressel… rooting for the Chinese
mental problems are real. neither of them quit because of competition. Peaty didn’t and still doesn’t have competition and Dressel absolutely would not quit because of competition. In fact I don’t think any elite swimmer would. If they are weak enough to quit because they may get beat they would never be the best in the world in the first place.
Hey Jalen. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you. You have some deep issues and people seem to have hurt you. The swimming community is strong so if you need anything, even a hug, we are here for you.