2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
- Budapest, Hungary
- Duna Arena
- LCM (50-meter format)
- Full Aquatics Schedule
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Relive all six breaststroke races through video highlights from last month’s 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Day 2
Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Final
- Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 58.26
- Arno Kamminga (NED)- 58.62
- Nic Fink (USA) – 58.65
- James Wilby (GBR) – 58.93
- Yan Zibei (CHN) – 59.22
- Lucas Joachim Matzerath (GER) – 59.50
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS) – 59.65
- Andrius Sidlauskas (LTU) – 59.80
Nicolo Martinenghi collected the first gold medal of the night, delivering a 58.26 in the men’s 100 breaststroke. The 22-year-old Italian just improved upon his own best time in this event and lowered the Italian record by 0.02 seconds from the 58.28 he swam at the Tokyo Games.
Day 3
Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Final
- Benedetta Pilato (ITA), 1:05.93
- Anna Elendt (GER), 1:05.98
- Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 1:06.02
- Lilly King (USA), 1:06.07
- Reona Aoki (JPN), 1:06.38
- Sophie Hansson (SWE), 1:06.39
- Tang Qianting (CHN), 1:06.41
- Molly Renshaw (GBR), 1:06.60
The women’s 100 breaststroke final was an incredibly tight battle, but in the end it was Italian Benedetta Pilato getting her hands on the wall first in a time of 1:05.93, winning her first career world championship title. Pilato, who is typically known more for her drop-dead speed as the silver medalist in the 50 breast from 2019, had to come back from fourth at the 50 to earn the victory, splitting 30.67/35.26 to claim the gold medal.
Day 4
Men’s 50 Breaststroke – Final
- Nic Fink (USA), 26.45
- Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 26.48
- Michael Andrew (USA), 26.72
- Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT), 26.94
- Simone Cerasuolo (ITA), 26.98
- Lucas Matzerath (GER), 27.10
- Yan Zibei (CHN), 27.18
- Felipe Franca Silva (BRA), 27.42
Nic Fink became the first American to win the World Championship title in the men’s 50 breaststroke, out-touching Italian Nicolo Martinenghi for the victory in a time of 26.45. Fink lowered the American Record of 26.52 set by Michael Andrew two months ago and moved up to No. 5 on the all-time performers’ list.
Day 6
Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Final
- Lilly King (USA), 2:22.41
- Jenna Strauch (AUS), 2:23.04
- Kate Douglass (USA), 2:23.20
- Kelsey Wog (CAN), 2:23.86
- Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU), 2:23.90
- Molly Renshaw (GBR), 2:23.92
- Francesca Fangio (ITA), 2:25.08
- Abbie Wood (GBR), 2:26.19
In an impressive bounce-back showing after missing the podium in the 100 breast, Lilly King roared back from fifth at the final turn to win her first world title in the women’s 200 breaststroke, clocking a time of 2:22.41. King, who reportedly dealt with COVID-19 shortly before the championships, led at the 50 in 31.92 and then fell back to fifth by the 150, but made a massive push coming home in 36.36 to win by a wide margin. It marked her first-ever medal in this event at the World Championships, though she did win silver at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Final
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS), 2:07.07
- Erik Persson (SWE) / Yu Hanaguruma (JPN), 2:08.38
- –
- Ryuya Mura (JPN), 2:08.86
- Nic Fink (USA), 2:09.05
- Anton McKee (ISL), 2:09.37
- Caspar Corbeau (NED), 2:09.62
- Matti Mattsson (FIN), 2:09.65
Although he was a bit slower than the semis and well off his world record, Zac Stubblety-Cook won the world title in the men’s 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:07.07. The Australian sat back in eighth at the 100 in 1:02.48 and was third at the last turn, but used a monstrous final 50 of 31.98 to earn his first World Championship title and Australia’s first-ever in this event.
Day 8
Women’s 50 Breaststroke – Final
- Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 29.70
- Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 29.80
- Lara van Niekerk (RSA) – 20.90
- Qianting Tang (CHN) – 30.21
- Anna Elendt (GER) – 30.22
- Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 30.25
- Lilly King (USA) – 30.40
- Jhennifer Alves de Conceicao (BRA) – 30.45
Nearly 10 years after winning her first world title back in 2013, Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte pulled off a victory in the 50 breaststroke at the 2022 World Championships. Meilutyte out-swam the field with a 29.70 to slightly improve upon her semi-final swim of 29.97, trailing her lifetime best and national record of 29.48 from 2013. It marked Meilutyte’s first long course World Championships title in this event as she took silver to Yuliya Efimova back in 2013.
