2023 WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- September 4 – 9, 2023
- Netanya, Israel
- Wingate Institute
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- How To Watch
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- 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 Finals Live Recap
Leah Hayes completed her record-breaking sweep of the individual medley events on Thursday, dominating the girls’ 200 IM with a winning time of 2:10.24 to establish a new World Junior Championship meet record.
The 17-year-old Virginia commit (class of 2024) was slightly off her season best from April (2:10.03) and lifetime best from last summer (2:08.91), but she still won by nearly three seconds and took down the previous Championship record of 2:11.03 set by Turkey’s Viktoria Gunes back in 2015. As illustrated below, Hayes’ splits were very similar to her personal-best performance from last year’s World Championships — which earned her bronze and broke a world junior record at the time — until the last freestyle leg.
Splits Comparison, Girls’ 200 IM
| Hayes’ PB from 2022 | Hayes’ CR from Thurs. | Gunes’ previous CR | |
| 50 Fly | 28.16 | 27.98 | 28.64 |
| 50 Back | 32.56 | 32.52 | 35.18 |
| 50 Breast | 37.39 | 37.73 | 35.60 |
| 50 Free | 30.80 | 32.01 | 31.61 |
| 200 IM total | 2:08.91 | 2:10.24 | 2:11.03 |
Hayes was faster than her 2:10.42 at U.S. Nationals this summer but slightly off her season-best 2:10.03 from the Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont this spring, which ranks third in the U.S. girls’ 17-18 national age group (NAG) rankings behind Elizabeth Pelton (2:10.02) and Alex Walsh (2:09.01).
On Monday, Hayes threw down a personal-best 4:36.84 in the 400 IM to lower the Championship record of 4:37.78 posted by Japan’s Mio Narita last year.
Haley McDonald made it a 1-2 finish for the Americans in the 200 IM with her personal-best 2:13.18, shaving almost four-tenths off her previous-best 2:13.57 from July. Canada’s Julie Brousseau rounded out the podium in 2:13.74.
GIRLS’ 200 IM – FINAL
- World Junior Record: 2:06.89 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
Championship Record: 2:11.03 – Viktoria Gunes (TUR), 2015- 2024 Olympic ‘A’ Standard: 2:11.47
- ‘B’ Standard: 2:12.13
- Time for 8th at 2022 World Jr Champs: 2:23.74
- Leah Hayes (USA), 2:10.24 CR
- Haley McDonald (USA), 2:13.18
- Julie Brousseau (CAN), 2:13.74
- Giulia Vetrano (ITA), 2:14.36
- Chiara Della Corte (ITA), 2:14.67
- Kamonchanok Kwanmuang (THA), 2:15.43
- Ella Jansen (CAN), 2:16.68
- Jaimie de Lutiis (AUS), 2:17.95
Surprised by her free split. She’s a strong 200 free swimmer so I thought she could be under 31.
Why bald?
She has alopecia.
She’s trying to become a water golem.
wonder if she’s happy with the swim. She’s going to be fun to watch in college. She and Alex are going to go at it.
If you are referring to Alex Walsh, will she not have graduated by the time Leah arrives in Charlottesville in the fall of ’24 or does she have a 5th year of eligibility
She will have a 5th year, but UVa swimmers haven’t done a lot of 5th years, so a lot up in the air.