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🌎World Short Course Championships🌏

Day 5 Finals

Women's 4X50m Medley Relay Final:

It was a three-way battle in the women's 4X50m Medley Relay Final between Australia (Mollie O'Callighan, Chelsea Hodges, Emma McKeon, and Madison Wilson), The United States (Claire Curzan, Lilly King, Torri Huske, and Kate Douglass), and Sweden (Louise Hansson, Kiara Thormalm, Sara Junevik, and Michelle Coleman).

However, in the end, it was Australia who cleaned up the other teams taking the gold 🥇 and the World Record (ironically shared by the USA and Sweden) in a time of 1:42.35 (with a 25.49 50m backstroke lead-off split by O'Callighan moving her ahead of Claire Curzan as the #2 performer in history). The United States was second 🥈 in 1:42.41 (thanks to the second-fastest freestyle split in history by Kate Douglass in 22.72) and Sweden was third 🥉 in 1:42.43 (with Sara Junevik splitting 24.06 - the third-fastest split ever).

Men's 4X50m Medley Relay Final:

Yet ANOTHER Relay World Record, this time Team Italy (Lorenzo Mora, Nicolo Martinenghi, Matteo Rivolta, and Leonardo Deplano) taking the gold 🥇 which included the fastest 50m butterfly split in history of 21.60. Second 🥈 in a new American Record was Team USA (Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Shaine Casas, and Michael Andrew). It hasn't been the best of meets for Michael Andrew, but he really stepped up with his 20.39 freestyle split (fastest in the field). Third, was Team Australia 🥉 (Isaac Cooper, Grayson Bell, Matthew Temple, and Kyle Chalmers) - Standout split from Matt Temple (butterfly) in 21.75.

Also to note that Germany's Marius Kusch carried his team with a Butterfly split of 21.72 (#5 all-time).

Men's 800m Freestyle Final:

In the fastest heat (and really considered the final) of the men's 800m freestyle, it was Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri taking the narrow win 🥇 in a Championship record of 7:29.99 over Henrik Christiansen of Norway (7:31.48), and third was Logan Fontaine 🥉 of France (7:22.12).

Women's 100m Butterfly Semi-Final:

Tomorrow night's top seed in 55.23 is American Torri Huske. She was over half a second ahead of second seed Louise Hansson of Sweden (55.78). Maggie MacNeil of Canada is currently the third seed in 55.83. HOWEVER, MacNeil currently has the third-fastest swim in history (54.78) from October of this year, so she has to be considered the favorite. This final will no doubt be a good preview into next March's NCAA 100 Fly "clash of the titans".

The fourth seed is Angelina Kohler of Germany in 56.23 and the fifth seed is American Claire Curzan in 56.37.

Men's 100m Butterfly Semi-Final:

Looking at a good final for tomorrow night! South African Legend Chad le Clos (winner of the 200m Butterfly earlier in the meet) will be tomorrow's top seed in 48.98 (only man under 49 seconds). Matteo Rivolta of Italy and Noe Ponti of Sweden tied for the second seed in 49.07. Marius Kusch (Germany) will go into tomorrow night at 49.20 and Ilya Kharun of Canada in fifth at 49.65.

With Shaine Casas opting out and Michael Andrew finishing 30th in the heats, there obviously won't be any Americans in tomorrow night's final, sad.

Women's 400m IM Final:

28-year-old American Butterfly/IM Specialist, Hali Flickinger won 🥇 by over two seconds in the 400m IM final. Second was Italy's Sara Franceschi 🥈 in 4:28.58 and third was Japan's Waka Kobori (4:29.03) 🥉

The reigning world champion from Abu Dhabi, Tessa Cieplucha from Canada was disqualified for what seemed to be a turn infraction on the backstroke to breaststroke transition.

Men's 400m IM Final:

Unbeaten since the Istanbul World Championships in 2012, Japan's Daiya Seto once again took the win in dominating fashion in 3:55.75 🥇 (fourth-fastest in history and his fastest since 2019). Seto now owns six of the 10 fastest 400IM times in history (SCM). Second was American, Carson Foster 🥈 in 3:57.63, and Matthew Sates of South Africa was third 🥉 in 3:59.21.

Women's 50m Breaststroke Semi-Finals:

Our first semi-final world record of the meet goes to Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. The time was 28.37 and dominance over the field was mostly due to her 12.88 split in the first 25. Only King is within a half-second of that, and barely. Lilly King of The United States is the second seed in 28.86, Lara van Niekerk of South Africa is the third seed with a new African Record of 29.27, and Qianting Tang of China is the fourth seed in a new Asian Record of 29.28.

If we've learned anything over the years with Lilly King, it's that being the second seed is only makes her chase the top seed that much harder. Should be a highlight of tomorrow's final session.

Men's 50m Breaststroke Semi-Finals:

In the semi-finals of the men's 50m Breaststroke, Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi emerged as the top seed for tomorrow night's final in a time of 25.60. Closely behind was the 100m world champion and reigning 50m world champion (SCM), American, Nic Fink in 25.64. Italian Simone Cerasuolo was third in 25.66 and Yan Zibei of China was fourth in 25.80.

Tied for fifth were American Michael Andrew and China's Qin Haiyang (=25.81). Adam Peaty 🐐 of Great Britain was seventh (25.85) and World Record holder Huseyin Sakci of Turkey (26.04)

Women's 50m Freestyle Final:

In the final of the women's 50m freestyle, Emma McKeon of Australia smashed the field by half a second in a new Championship and Oceanic Record of 23.04 🥇 (third fastest performance in history). Second was Katarzyna Wasick 🥈 of Poland in 23.55. Third was Anna Hopkin 🥉 of Great Britain in 23.68.

American, Erika Brown finished seventh in 23.76.

Men's 50m Freestyle Final:

Winning the third consecutive 50m freestyle was Cayman Island's sprint specialist, Jordan Crooks 🥇 in 20.46 (the first World Champion from the Cayman Islands!). Second, by .03 of a second was Great Britain's Benjamin Proud 🥈 in 20.49 and third was Trinidadian (Trinidad and Tobago) Dylan Carter 🥉 in 20.72.

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