Leah Hayes Logs World University Games 200 IM Record – 2:10.01

2025 World University Games

• July 17th-23rd, 2025
  • Prelims: 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. EST)
  • Finals: 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. EST)
• Berlin, Germany
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• Entries List
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Night five of the 2025 World University Games contained the women’s 200m IM semi-finals and American Leah Hayes wasted no time staking her claim on the event.

The 19-year-old University of Virginia Cavalier fired off a time of 2:10.01 to land lane 4 for tomorrow night’s final, beating the pack by well over a second and a half.

U.S. teammate Teagan O’Dell snared the 2nd seed in 2:11.79 while Canada’s Ashley MacMillan will also flank Hayes during tomorrow night’s main event, courtesy of her 3rd-seeded 2:13.07.

As for Hayes, the teen’s 2:10.01 head-turner erased the former World University Games Record of 2:10.03 2020 Olympic Games champion Yui Ohashi of Japan put on the books in 2017.

In fact, Hayes’ effort checks in as the 5th-quickest time of her career, one which boasts a lifetime best of 2:08.91 from the 2022 World Championships, where she won bronze and notched a new World Junior Record.

Leah Hayes‘ Top 5 LCM 200 IM Performances

1. 2:08.91, 2022 World Championships
2. 2:09.81, 2022 World Championships
3. 2:09.82, 2022 World Championships
4. 2:09.99, 2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials
5. 2:10.01, 2025 World University Games

Splits for tonight’s performance were as follows:

WOMEN’s 200 IM – SEMIFINAL

• World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh , CAN (2025)
• World Junior Record: 2:06.56 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World University Games Record: 2:10.03– Yui Ohashi, JPN (2017)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Leah Hayes (USA) – 2:10.01
2. Teagan O’Dell (USA) – 2:11.79
3. Ashley MacMillan (CAN) – 2:13.07
4. Camille Tissandie (FRA) – 2:14.07
5. Chiara Della Corte (ITA) – 2:!4.20
6. Iana Shakirova (AIN) – 2:14.46
7. Ge Chutong (CHN) – 2:14.62
8. Rio Sato (JPN) – 2:14.71