★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPS ≡
As the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore head to the finish on the weekend, plenty of familiar faces were on the podium on Friday, with former Olympic or World champions taking all five finals!
The final of the women’s 200 m Breaststroke was a showdown between Russian “neutral” world-record holder Evgeniia Chikunova and Olympic champ Kate Douglass of the U.S., who had been 1-2 on the world list since April.
But Douglass was in no mood to play and took the lead from the start, up by 0.34 at the turn, then 1.30 seconds at 100 m, 1.18 seconds at 150 and came home in an American Record of 2:18.50, the no. 2 time in history! She moved up from silvers at the 2023 and 2024 Worlds.
Chikunova was a lonely second in 2:19.96, with the rest of the field more than three seconds later with Kaylene Corbett (RSA) and Belarus “neutral” Alina Zmushka tying for third in 2:23.52.
● Men/200 m Backstroke: Olympic champ Hubert Kos (HUN) hadn’t been the fastest all season, but he was when it counted, with the fastest time in the world in 2025 in 1:53.19, a European record and the no. 7 performance all-time. He now ranks as the fifth-fastest in the event in history.
Kos overtook semifinal leader – and 100 Back winner in Singapore – Pieter Coetze (RSA), after the 100 mark, but Coetze didn’t cede much and won silver in 1:53.36, moving to no. 6 all-time with another national record. France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard was third for most of the race and took the bronze in 1:54.62.
● Men/200 m Breaststroke: China’s Haiyang Qin won all three Breast events at the 2023 Worlds, then had an Olympics to forget in 2024. But he’s back, winning his second gold in 2:07.41, charging from third at the final turn to touch first, passing Japan’s ex-world record holder Ippei Watanabe, who claimed the silver in 2:07.70. Caspar Corbeau (NED) was fifth at the turn, but won the bronze at the touch in 2:07.73; American AJ Pouch had the lead at the 150 m mark, but faded to fifth with the slowest final 50 in the field, at 2:09.13.
● Men/4×200 m Freestyle: Olympic champs Great Britain were brilliant again, taking the lead from Matt Richards’ 1:45.37 opener and stormed to a 6:59.84 win, the no. 8 performance in history. The Brits have four of the eight swims ever under seven minutes.
James Guy kept Britain in front, but American Luke Hobson – the 200 Free runner-up – split 1:43.45, the fastest of the race, to pass Jack McMillan and put the U.S. in front after the third leg. But Duncan Scott swam 1:43.82 on anchor for Britain and the U.S.’s Rex Maurer managed only 1:45.82 and the Americans faded to fourth in 7:01.24.
China, with Zhanle Pan’s 1:44.20 on anchor, claimed silver (7:00.91) and Max Giuliani swam a 1:44.92 final leg for Australia to get the bronze (7:00.98).
● Women/100 m Freestyle: American star Torri Huske hasn’t been right all week due to illness, but she was in form off the start, turning first in 25.16. But on the way home, it was defending champion Marrit Steenbergen (NED) and Paris Olympic winner Mollie O’Callaghan who battled for gold, with the Dutch star touching first in 52.55, no. 2 in the world for 2025.
O’Callaghan was close, but her 52.67 was good for silver. Huske faded, with the third-slowest final 50, but still touched third, 52.89 to 52.91 over Milou van Wijk (NED) to earn the bronze.
¶
Olympic champ Cameron McEvoy (AUS) led the way in the men’s 50 m Freestyle semis, winning semi one in 21.30, equaling the fastest time of the year. He was just ahead of American Jack Alexy, the 100 m Free runner-up in Singapore (21.32). Santo Cordorelli of the U.S. qualified seventh in 21.68, fourth in the first semi with McEvoy and Alexy.
World short-course champion Noe Ponti (SUI) led the semifinals in the men’s 100 m Butterfly, winning the second race in 50.18, the no. 2 time in 2025, over Olympic silver man Josh Liendo (CAN: 50.24). France’s Maxime Grousset, the 50 m Fly winner, took semi one in 50.25. Americans Shaine Casas (19th) and Thomas Heilman (26th) did not advance out of the morning heats.
In the morning women’s 800 m Free heats, U.S. star Katie Ledecky posted the fastest time at 8:14.62, with Australia’s Lani Pallister next at 8:17.08 and Canada’s Summer McIntosh third fastest at 8:19.88.
The first semi in the women’s 200 m Backstroke was fast, with China’s Xuwei Peng and Belarus “neutral” Anastasiya Shkurdai going 1-2 in 2:07.76 and 2:07.85. The second semi had Olympic champ Kaylee McKeown (AUS), silver winner Regan Smith of the U.S. and defending champ Claire Curzan (USA), with Curzan winning over McKeown and Smith, 2:08.13 to 2:08.36 to 2:08.67.
American star Gretchen Walsh was back in the pool for the women’s 50 m Butterfly, winning semi two easily in 25.09, a time no one else has approached in 2025. Belgian Roos Vanotterdijk, the 100 Fly silver winner, won semi one in 25.32 and was the no. 2 qualifier. The U.S.’s Douglass, doubling back 20 minutes after her 200 Breast win, clocked 25.74 for 14th and did not advance to the final.
¶
The medal table shows the U.S. at 20 medals (5-10-5), with Australia at 13 (5-2-6), then China at 10 (2-4-4). No one else has more than six.
Saturday’s program features finals in the men’s 50 m Free and 100 Fly, women’s 800 m Free – Ledecky vs. McIntosh – and 200 m Back (McKeown vs. Curzan and Smith), 50 m Fly and the Mixed 4×100 m Free relay.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 699-event International Sports Calendar for 2025, 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
