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≡ WORLD 25 m CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
The wave of record performances continued on Thursday at the World Aquatics 25 m (short-course) Championships in Budapest (HUN), with three world marks amid a torrent of great U.S. performances:
● Women/200 m Butterfly: 1:59.32, Summer McIntosh (CAN)
● Women/100 m Medley: 55.71, Gretchen Walsh (in semis)
● Women/4×200 m Freestyle: 7:30.13, United States (Alex Walsh, Paige Madden, Katie Grimes, Claire Weinstein)
Walsh led off Thursday’s finals with her second individual gold with a 50.31 American Record in the women’s 100 m Free, breaking her own mark of 50.49 from the semifinals, and just 0.06 from the world mark. Teammate Kate Douglass was second for much of the race, but France’s Beryl Gasteldallo came home hardest and got second, 50.63 to 50.73.
Walsh returned for the semis of the 100 m Medley and cruised through the second semi, setting another world record of 55.71, slashing her October mark of 55.98. Douglass won the first semi in 56.88; the final is Friday.
American sprint star Jack Alexy won the men’s 100 m Free in 45.38, trailing teammate Chris Guiliano at the halfway point, but moving into the lead on the third lap and touching the clear winner. Guilherme Santos (BRA: 45.47) and Jordan Crooks (CAY:45.48) passed Guiliano coming home, and Guiliano had to settle for fourth (45.51).
The U.S. quartet of Alex Walsh, Paige Madden, Katie Grimes and Claire Weinstein combined for a win and another world record in the final event, the women’s 4×200 m Freestyle, winning in 7:30.13, with Weinstein blowing the race open on the final leg (1:50.31). They crushed the Australian mark of 7:30.87 from the 2022 Worlds in the process, finishing ahead of Hungary (7:33.39) and Australia (7:33.60).
Canada’s McIntosh powered to a second gold in the meet with a brilliant world record of 1:59.32 in the women’s 200 m fly final, and crushed the 1:59.61 mark from Mireia Belmonte Garcia (ESP) from 2014. U.S. star Regan Smith was a solid second in an American Record of 2:01.00, breaking Kelsi Dahlia’s 2:01.73 standard from 2018. Fellow American Alex Shackell was fourth in 2:03.23.
Ilya Kharun of Canada followed with his own win in the men’s 200 m Fly in 1:48.24, to equal the meet record, a clear winner over Alberto Razzetti (1:48.64), with American Trenton Julian in fifth (1:50.51). Kharun moves to equal-second all-time in the event.
China’s Qianting Tang, the 2021 winner, won the women’s 100 m Breast final over defending champ Lilly King of the U.S., 1:02.38 to 1:02.80. And China won the men’s 100 Breast with Haiyang Qin (55.47) winning his first short-course Worlds gold.
Australian Elijah Winnington came from third at the 300 m mark and took the men’s 400 m Free final in 3:35.89, with Americans Kieran Smith and Carson Foster tying for the silver in 3:36.31.
After three of six days, the U.S. had 13 medals (7-3-3) to nine for Canada (3-2-4) and five for Australia (1-2-2); the meet concludes on Sunday.
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