Joshua Yong Breaks Oceanian Record From 2009 To Win 200 Breaststroke In Shanghai (2:01.67)

2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP-SHANGHAI

• Friday, October 18th – Sunday, October 20th
• Shanghai, China
• Prelims at 9:30 am local (9:30 pm ET previous night)/Finals at 6:30 pm local (6:30 am ET)
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Event Schedule
• Entries Book
• Day 1 Prelims/Day 1 Finals
• Day 2 Prelims/Day 2 Finals
• Live Results

Joshua Yong swam his second Oceanian record of the Shanghai stop of the World Cup series, blazing a 2:01.67 to win the 200 breaststroke and break Christian Sprenger’s super-suited record from 2009. Sprenger’s swim came on that year’s World Cup tour, which saw a flurry of records broken; Sprenger’s 2:01.98 brought the 200 breast world record below 2:02 for the first time as he broke Ed Moses’ mark from 2004.

Though the world record was lowered again by David Gyurta, Sprenger’s time held as the Oceanian record for over 15 years. Yong chopped .31 seconds from the long-standing mark as he upset the long-course 200 breaststroke world record holder Qin Haiyang and the newly crowned Olympic champion Leon Marchand to win in Shanghai.

Yong is fresh off an Olympic debut where he made the final of the 200 breaststroke and earned bronze as part of Australia’s 4×100 mixed medley relay. He carried his momentum over to the 25-meter pool this fall; last month, he broke the Oceanian record in the 100 breaststroke at the Australian Short Course Championships (56.76). He lowered the mark to 56.66 less than a month later as he finished fourth on the opening day in Shanghai.

Yong was fifth through the first 75 meters of the 200 breaststroke final in Shanghai, opening the race in 28.13. He pulled himself into third at the 100-meter mark (59.00), then passed Caspar Corbeau on the third 50. Then, he split 15.77/15.64 over the final 50 meters, passing Qin in the closing meters of the race to notch his first victory on the World Cup tour.

He is now the 11th fastest performer in event history.

Yong’s 200 Breast Oceanian Record Splits

Yong is slated to race at the next stop of the World Cup in Incheon, South Korea from Oct. 24-26.