Fukuoka 2023, Day 4 Asia Recap: Zhang’s Bypassing 200 Fly Pays Mixed Medley Dividends

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
• 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
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Final Live Recap

For the first time since the start of these World Championships, no national records were broken on day four.

China’s Qin Haiyang indeed won the men’s 50m breaststroke, however, the 24-year-old was slightly off his semi-final swim of 26.20. Instead, he grabbed gold this evening in 26.29. He’ll be staking his claim on a clean sweep of the breaststroke events with the 200m breast prelims taking place during day 5.

Zhang Yufei dropped the women’s 200m fly to instead focus on the mixed medley relay, with the Olympic champion’s decision paying dividends in the form of gold.

Yufei split 55.69 on the fly leg, by far the swiftest woman flyer of the final. The next closest was Canada’s Maggie MacNeil who logged a fly split of 56.30. The Chinese squad wound up with the gold in 3:38.57, just over half a second ahead of runner-up Australia who notched 3:39.03, so Yufei’s contribution was a decisive game-changer.

National/Continental Records Through Day 4:

• China
  • Qin Haiyang – 57.69 men’s 100m breaststroke Asian Record; 26.20 50m breaststroke Asian Record
  • Women’s 4x100m free relay – 3:32.40 Asian Record
  • Men’s 4x100m free relay – 3:11.38 Asian Record
• Hong Kong
  • Women’s 4x100m free relay – 3:39.93
• India
  • Aryan Nehra –  8:00.76 men’s 800m freestyle
• Kyrgyzstan
  • Denis Petrashov – 59.78 men’s 100m breaststroke
• Malaysia
  • Khiew Hoe Yean – 8:05.11 men’s 800 freestyle
• South Korea
  • Choi Dong-yeol – 59.59 men’s 100m breaststroke
  • Back In-chul – 23.50 men’s 50m butterfly
  • Kim Woomin – 7:47.69 men’s 800m freestyle
  • Hwang Sunwoo – 1:44.42 men’s 200m freestyle