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
- Day 7 Prelims Recap | Day 7 Finals Recap
- Day 8 Prelims Recap
Day 8 Finals Live Recap
Team USA won World Aquatics’ Team of the Meet award with eight gold medals among 20 total medals. Team Canada wound up 13th out of 30 medaling countries, collecting seven total medals, including Finlay Knox‘s 200 IM title and Sydney Pickrem‘s double 200 IM silver/200 breast bronze.
Hunter Armstrong kicked off the night for Team USA with a valiant finish in the men’s 50 back, taking silver two-tenths behind Australia’s Isaac Cooper, 24.13 to 24.33.
American Kate Douglass popped off another medal here in Doha, this time in the 50 free. Douglass earned silver by breaking 24 seconds for the first time at 23.91, behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (23.69) and just ahead of Poland’s Kasia Wasick, also joining the sub-24 club member in national record fashion at 23.95.
Douglass is now a five-time medalist at these 2024 Worlds, adding this silver to her 200 IM title, 200 breast silver, mixed 4×100 medley relay gold, and mixed 4×100 free relay bronze.
Douglass’ first sub-24 time took down Simone Manuel‘s 2017 former American record of 23.97. Along with joining Manuel as the second American woman to go 23-point, Douglass moves up to No.8 all-time in history, one spot above fellow Doha event medalist No.9 Wasick.
ALL-TIME TOP 10 WOMEN’S LCM 50 FREE PERFORMERS
- Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden— 23.61 (2023)
- Britta Steffen, Germany— 23.73 (2009)
- Pernille Blume, Denmark— 23.75 (2018)
- Cate Campbell, Australia— 23.78 (2018)
- Emma McKeon, Australia— 23.81 (2021)
- Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Netherlands— 23.85 (2017)
- Therese Alshammar, Sweden— 23.88 (2009)
- Kate Douglass, USA— 23.91 (2024)
- Kasia Wasick, Poland— 23.95 (2024)
- Marleen Veldhuis, Netherlands/Francesca Halsall, Great Britain— 23.96 (2009/2014)
Entering the men’s 4×100 medley relay final, the Americans were fully re-loaded with the likes of individual champions Hunter Armstrong and Nic Fink along with event finalists Zach Harting and Matt King. As Armstrong touched second behind Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez after the backstroke leg, it was the experienced Fink and his 15-plus meter pullout (which is legal only off a start) that surged Team USA into the lead. Harting swam the split of his career at 51.13, just 0.01s behind a charging Nyls Korstanje of the Netherlands (51.12) but maintaining the lead of anchor King. King swam his fastest 100 free at these championships at 47.32, securing the USA’s second relay title, 8th gold, and 20th medal overall in Doha.
Armstrong now walks away with seven World medals from Doha 2024: 100 back gold, 50 back silver, men’s 4×100/4×200 free relay bronzes, men’s 4×100 medley relay gold, and a pair of gold (medley) and bronze (free) mixed 4×100 relay medals. Triple breaststroke medalist Fink is now at five total medals here in Doha: both men’s/mixed 4×100 relays golds plus 100 breast gold and 50/200 breast bronzes. King also has a relay gold medal to wear around his neck along with his double mixed/men’s free relay bronze medals, totaling three.
On a different note, this relay gold marks 2021 Olympian Harting’s first-ever LC Worlds medal.
At the conclusion of the meet, American Claire Curzan was awarded 2024 women’s swimmer of the meet here in Doha, only eligible based on individual medals. The 19-year-old not just earning 100 fly silver but becoming the second woman to sweep the 50/100/200 backstroke events at LC Worlds. Had she swum and medaled in the women’s 4×100 free relay, despite USA scratching, she would have tied Simone Manuel as the female with the highest medal pick-up at a single LC Worlds meet.
Curzan ended 2024 Doha with six total medals, including mixed 4×100 medley relay gold and free relay bronze to add to her four individual medals. Curzan matches Australia’s Shayna Jack and Brianna Throssell‘s six medal pick-up, each earning five relay medals as well as individual bronze medals (Jack 100 free, Throssell 200 free).
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- American Carson Foster still has much room for improvement closing in on these major international IM finals. Foster could not hold off Japanese veteran Daiya Seto for a medal, finishing 0.11s behind Seto for fourth, 4:12.51 to 4:12.62. After leading prelims, American teammate David Johnston tied with versatile Italian Alberto Razzetti for fifth at 4:13.05.
- Blake Tierney (53.65), James Dergousoff (59.89), Finlay Knox (51.60), and Javier Acevedo (47.75) were vying for a medal, as Acevedo was one of three sub-48 free splits, but settled for fourth behind Italy, 3:31.59 to 3:32.89.
- After qualifying 8th into the women’s 50 free final at 24.72, Canadian Olympian Taylor Ruck dropped 0.22s off semi-finals to place 5th at 24.50, touching out Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin (24.51) by one one-hundredth.
- US teenager Piper Enge represented the stars and stripes well, touching in a reputable 6th place in the women’s 50 breast final at 30.69, just off her semi-finals best time of 30.53.
- Another prelims leader, Canada’s Tess Cieplucha, faded out of medal contention and took seventh in the women’s 400 IM final at 4:43.02.
- Competing in his fourth 50 sprint final, USA’s Michael Andrew capped off his time in Doha with an 8th-place finish in the men’s 50 back final (24.86).
North American Swimming Medals Table Through Day 8:
| GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL | |
| United States | 6 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
| Canada | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
All 2024 Doha North America Recaps
- Day 1 Recap: Jake Foster Posts PB But Misses 100 Breast Final
- Day 2 Recap: Angus Adds to Canada’s Newfound Breaststroke Depth
- Day 3 Recap: Curzan Claims First Individual World Title In 100 BK
- Day 4 Recap: Klinker In Conversation For 200 Fly Spot For Paris
- Day 5 Recap: Canada’s Finlay Knox Wins First Men’s Gold Since 2007
- Day 6 Recap: Fink the 2nd Man to Medal in All Three Breast Events
- Day 7 Recap: Curzan Matches McKeown With 3-for-3 Backstroke Sweep
While some have downplayed the award for best team to the USA given the uneven attendance, it was World Aquatics who set this date and swimmers world-wide made decisions to come, or not. So, bravi to TEAM USA recognition.
it was the experienced Fink and his 15-plus meter pullout (which is legal only off a start) that surged Team USA into the lead. Is this a FINA rule? USA?
There is no 15-meter rule in breaststroke at any level – either on the start or off a turn. You can swim the whole race underwater if you want, so long as you can do that on one pull-out.
So you can never be DQ’d for being underwater too far?