Sieradzki Crushes 1:45.00 200 Free Polish Record, Hacks A Second Off Old Mark

2025 World Championships

• July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
• Singapore, Singapore
• World Aquatics Championships Arena
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• How To Watch
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1
  • Finals: Day 1

The men’s 200m freestyle is one of the most highly anticipated races of these 2025 World Championships.

Tonight we saw the semi-finals unfold from Singapore, with American Luke Hobson capturing the top seed in 1:44.80 as one of two swimmers who logged outings under the 1:45 barrier.

Joining him was Korea’s world champion Hwang Sunwoo who clocked 1:44.84 to flank Hobson during tomorrow night’s main event.

On the other side of Hobson will be Poland’s Kamil Sieradzki, the 23-year-old who just smashed a big-time personal best en route to securing the 3rd seed.

Sieradzki stopped the clock at a mighty 1:45.00 to hold a .02 advantage over Olympic champion David Popovici of Romania. Popovici earned the 4th slot in 1:45.02.

As for Sieradzki, his 1:45.00 blew his former career-swiftest performance of 1:46.02 to bits. That previous Polish standard was put on the books just this past April at the Polish Championships.

Comparing his two swims, Sieradzki was quicker on every lap, including turning in a final 50m of 26.84.

Sieradzki is a two-time Short Course World Championships relay medalist and three-time European Championships relay medalist.

Also of note, although he finished 9th and just out of the final, Norwegian Sander Sorensen logged a new national record of 1:45.78 tonight.

The 18-year-old’s performance hacked well over half a second off his previous PB and NOR record of 1:46.48 registered at this year’s Bergen Swim Festival.

Already here in Singapore, Sorensen posted a PB and national record of 48.73 as lead-off on his nation’s men’s 4x100m free relay during the prelim round.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – Semifinals

• World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, GER (2009)
• World Junior Record: 1:42.97 – David Popovici, ROU (2022)
• Championship Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, GER (2009)
• 2023 World Champion: Matt Richards, GBR – 1:44.30
• 2024 Olympic Champion: David Popovici, ROU – 1:44.72

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Luke Hobson (United States) — 1:44.80
2. Hwang Sunwoo (South Korea) — 1:44.84
3. Kamil Sieradzki (Poland) — 1:45.00
4. David Popovici (Romania) — 1:45.02
5. Carlos D’Ambrosio (Italy) — 1:45.23
6. Tatsuya Murasa (Japan) — 1:45.39
7. James Guy (Great Britain) — 1:45.50
8. Gabriel Jett (United States) — 1:45.60