Tang Qianting has been excellent in short-course meters this season, a trend she continued on the final night at the Shanghai World Cup, swimming a new Asian record of 28.76 en route to victory in the women’s 50 breaststroke.
It’s the third time this season that the 20-year-old and Olympic silver medallist has rewritten the Asian record in the event. At the 2024 Chinese Short Course Nationals, Tang established a new record of 28.95 in the semifinals, then lowered it to 28.82 in the finals.
Now, Tang is the third-fastest performer in event history, moving up from sixth where she ranked less than a month ago after the Chinese Short Course Nationals.
Top 5 Performers, 50 Breaststroke (SCM):
- Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania —28.37 (2022)
- Alia Atkinson, Jamaica — 28.56 (2018)
- Tang Qianting, China — 28.76 (2024)
- Lilly King, United States — 28.77 (2020)
- Jessica Hardy, United States — 28.80 (2009)
Tang lowered the 50 and 100 breaststroke records at the Shanghai stop on the World Cup, like she did at the Chinese Short Course Nationals. Earlier this weekend, Tang—the 2021 SC 100 breast world champion—swam 1:02.53 in the 100 breaststroke, bettering her Asian record by .13 seconds and becoming the fourth-fastest all-time performer.
Tang won the 50 breaststroke decisively as she was almost a second ahead of the field, but wasn’t the only swimmer in the final to break a record. The versatile Siobhan Haughey swam a Hong Kong record, clocking 29.74 to finish third, a hundredth behind Benedetta Pilato.
With multiple Olympic medals in the 100 and 200 freestyle, Haughey is most known for her skill in the freestyle events. But last season, she began to explore her breaststroke capabilities, even winning bronze in the 100 breast at the 2024 World Championships in Doha.
Haughey owned the former Hong Kong record in the event, courtesy of the 29.88 she swam in 2019 as a member of the DC Trident. Her effort in Shanghai slices .14 seconds off her former record.
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