2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
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- Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
Catch up on all the finals action from Day 5 at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Whether you were asleep, on the way to work, or just busy, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve got race videos from all the finals that stepped up to the blocks this session; including the 4×200 freestyle relay, where the Australian women took down another world record.
WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL
Top 8:
- Summer McIntosh (CAN) — 2:04.06 (WORLD JUNIOR RECORD)
- Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS) — 2:05.46
- Regan Smith (USA) — 2:06.58
- Lana Pudar (BIH) — 2:07.05
- Airi Mitsui (JPN)/Helena Bach (DEN) — 2:07.15
- (tie)
- Laura Stephens (GBR) — 2:07.27
- Lindsay Looney (USA) — 2:07.90
This race was all Summer McIntosh, who defends her gold medal in Budapest with a junior world record of 2:04.06. The swim ties her for #5 fastest performer all-time.
This is McIntosh’s first gold medal of the meet, and follows up nicely on the 200 free bronze she won in another world junior record time. It’s another positive step for McIntosh: the 400 free is now firmly behind her as she climbs onto the podium for the second time this meet.
It’s two teenagers who top the podium, as behind McIntosh it was Elizabeth Dekkers who earned the silver medal, while Regan Smith won bronze in her first of two individual finals in the session.
MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- World Record: David Popovici, Romania – 46.86 (2022)
- World Junior Record: David Popovici, Romania – 46.86 (2022)
- Championship Record: Cesar Cielo, Brazil – 46.91 (2009)
- 2022 World Champion: David Popovici, Romania – 47.58
- 2022 Time to Medal: 47.71
Top 8:
- Kyle Chalmers (AUS) — 47.15
- Jack Alexy (USA) — 47.31
- Maxime Grousset (FRA) — 47.42
- Pan Zhanle (CHN) — 47.43
- Matt Richards (GBR) — 47.45
- David Popovici (ROU) — 47.83
- Jordan Crooks (CAY) — 47.94
- Nandor Nemeth (HUN) — 48.17
King Kyle has now completed his collection, earning his first 100 freestyle world title in Fukuoka, getting his hand on the wall in 47.15. Kyle Chalmers came roaring home; he was tied for seventh at the first 50, flipping in 23.04. He fired off a 24.11 back-half, blazing through the field to catch up with Jack Alexy, who had ripped 22.48 to lead the field at the turn.
We had outside smoke on both sides of the pool, as the silver and bronze medallists came from the outside lanes. Alexy snuck into this final by .02 and now he’s the silver medallist in a huge personal best of 47.31, which makes him the #2 American performer all-time in the event. Out in lane 1, Maxime Grousset held on against a charging Pan Zhanle for bronze as third through fifth were separated by .03 seconds.
WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL
- World Record: Liu Xiang, China – 26.98 (2018)
- World Junior Record: Minna Atherton, Australia – 27.49 (2016)
- Championship Record: Zhao Ling, China – 27.06 (2009)
- 2022 World Champion: Kylie Masse, Canada – 27.31
- 2022 Time to Medal: 27.40
Top 8:
- Kaylee McKeown (AUS) — 27.08
- Regan Smith (USA) — 27.11
- Lauren Cox (GBR) — 27.20
- Kylie Masse (CAN) — 27.28
- Katharine Berkoff (USA) — 27.38
- Ingrid Wilm (CAN) — 27.41
- Wang Xueer (CHN) — 27.99
- Analia Pigree (FRA) — 28.04
Kaylee McKeown makes it 2-for-2 in the backstroke events here in Fukuoka. McKeown fired off a 27.08 to win gold here, becoming the #3 performer all-time and taking down the Oceanic record. McKeown got the better of Smith by .03 seconds, as Smith earned silver in 27.11. That puts her back on the podium for the second time this session, and is just .01 off the American record she swam during the semifinals.
Great Britain’s Lauren Cox got onto the podium with a new personal best of 27.20 from bronze. Now, she’s just .01 seconds off Kathleen Dawson‘s British record.
MEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS
- World Record: Ryan Lochte, United States – 1:54.00 (2011)
- World Junior Record: Hubert Kos, Hungary – 1:56.99 (2021)
- Championship Record: Ryan Lochte, United States – 1:54.00 (2011)
- 2022 World Champion: Leon Marchand, France – 1:55.22
- 2022 Time to Medal: 1:56.22
Top 8:
- Leon Marchand (FRA) — 1:54.82
- Duncan Scott (GBR) — 1:55.95
- Tom Dean (GBR) — 1:56.07
- Shaine Casas (USA) — 1:56.35
- Carson Foster (USA) — 1:56.43
- Daiya Seto (JPN) — 1:56.70
- Hugo Gonzalez (ESP) — 1:57.37
- So Ogata (JPN) — 1:57.82
Leon Marchand collected his third gold medal of these championships, winning gold in the 200 IM. He swam a new European record of 1:54.82, breaking Laslo Cseh‘s record of 1:55.18 from 2009. As expected, he made his move on the back half of the race, splitting 32.94 on breaststroke. That put him in the lead, and then his final turn distanced him from everyone else in the race and coming home in a 28.28.
The British 200 freestyle specialists Duncan Scott and Tom Dean in the field. The two closed hard, especially Dean, who closed like a freight train in 27.12 to come out of nowhere–well, seventh at the final turn–blitz through the field, and earn bronze.
WOMEN’S 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINALS
World Record: Australia – 7:39.29 (2022)Championship Record: United States – 7:41.45 (2022)- 2022 World Champion: United States – 7:41.45
- 2022 Time to Medal: 7:44.76
Top 8:
- Australia (O’Callaghan, Jack, Throssell, Titmus) — 7:37.50 (WORLD RECORD)
- United States (Gemmell, Ledecky, Sims, Shackell) — 7:41.38
- China (Li, Li, Ai, Liu) — 7:44.40
- Great Britain — 7:46.63
- Canada — 7:49.98
- Netherlands — 7:52.93
- Hungary — 7:54.65
- Brazil — 7:59.10
Australia have won both women’s relays to the tune of a new world record. They were the favorites coming in and the team of Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Brianna Throssell, and Ariarne Titmus, who all train together under Dean Boxall at St. Peter’s Western, combined for a new world record of 7:37.50. They broke the old record–which Australia swam just last year–by 1.79 seconds.
200 free world record holder Mollie O’Callaghan led off in 1:53.66, getting the Australians out to a lead. Shayna Jack split 1:55.63, then Brianna Throssell swam 1:55.80. They were well ahead of world record pace, but pushed further ahead as Titmus, their anchor, got started. Titmus anchored in a massive 1:52.41, which is the fastest relay split of all-time. She’s the first woman to split sub-1:53.