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≡ WORLD 25 m CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
The record-setting was less frantic on the second day of the World Aquatics 25 m (short-course) Championships in Budapest (HUN), but Swiss star Noe Ponti did it again.
After setting a world short-course (25 m pool) mark in the men’s 50 m Butterfly semis on Tuesday, Tokyo 100 Fly bronze medalist Ponti screamed to a gold in the final in 21.32 to shave another 0.11 off his own mark. He actually trailed Nyls Korstanje (NED) at the turn, but rocketed home to win by 0.35 over Canadian Ilya Kharhun (21.68). Korstanje took the bronze at 21.69.
The U.S. continued its strong showing with two more golds and an American Record:
● The first final of the night of the women’s 100 m Backstroke, with American star Regan Smith – the Paris silver winner – taking her first short-course Worlds gold in a meet record of 54.55, well ahead of teammate Katharine Berkoff (54.93) in second.
● Gretchen Walsh led the women’s 100 m Free semis with a meet record of 50.49, also an American Record, taking down Kate Douglass’ 50.82 from the Singapore World Cup on 2 November. Douglass also qualified as third-fastest for tomorrow’s final (51.67).
● Walsh came back about 50 minutes later to win the women’s 50 m Butterfly in 24.01, just short of her 23.94 world mark from Tuesday’s semifinals. France’s Beryl Gastaldello was distant second at 24.43.
Elsewhere, Russian “neutral” Miron Lifintsev set a world junior record of 48.76 to win the men’s 100 m Back, beating home favorite Hubert Kos (HUN: 48.79), and he led off a Russian team that won the 4×50 m Mixed Medley. The U.S. squad of Shaine Casas, Michael Andrew, Smith and Berkoff was third in 1:36.20.
Australia’s defending champion Lani Pallister won the women’s 800 m Free in 8:01.95, a meet record, with Isabel Grose (GER: 8:05.42) and Katie Grimes of the U.S. (8:05.90) taking the other medals. American Paige Madden, the Olympic bronzer, was fourth in 8:07.22
Through two days, the U.S. leads with 10 total medals (6-2-2) to seven for Canada (1-2-4) and four for Australia (1-2-1). The meet continues through Sunday.
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