Women's 50m Breaststroke

Lilly King (USA)

Lilly King won the women's 50m breaststroke at the last two world aquatics championships in 2017 and 2019.

King can become the first woman to win three world titles in this event, surpassing Luo Xuejuan (CHN), Jessica Hardy (USA) and Yuliya Efimova (RUS) on two each.

United States collected a record four gold and a record 11 total medals in this event at the world aquatics championships. Only in 2003 and 2015 a USA swimmer failed to reach the podium.


Benedetta Pilato (ITA)

Benedetta Pilato is the world record holder in the women's 50m breaststroke (29.30). She set the time in the semi-finals at the European championships in Budapest in 2021. Pilato has recorded three of the five fastest times in this event, all set at those European championships.

Pilato won the European title (2021) and the junior world title (2019) in this event in Budapest and can now claim gold at the 2022 FINA World Championships here.

Pilato took silver in this event at the 2019 FINA World Championships at the age of 14, making her the youngest medallist in the women's 50m breaststroke at the world aquatics championships. She also set the record for youngest Italian swimmer to finish on the podium of an individual event at the world aquatics championships.

At the age of 17 years and 158 days (on 25 June), Pilato can become the second-youngest woman to win the 50m breaststroke at the world aquatics championships, after Yuliya Efimova (RUS) in 2009 at age 17-121.

Pilato can become the first Italian swimmer to win gold in a breaststroke event at the FINA World Championships.


Other contenders

Anastasya Gorbenko (ISR) won the women's 50m breaststroke at the world short course championships in 2021. Israel has yet to claim a medal in this event at the world aquatics championships.

Lara van Niekerk (RSA) could claim South Africa's first world championships medal in the women's 50m breaststroke.

Sophie Hansson (SWE) can become the second Swedish woman to finish on the podium in this event at the world aquatics championships, after Jennie Johansson won gold in 2015.

Anna Elendt (GER) could pick up Germany's first medal in this event at the FINA World Championships.

Australia achieved five world championships medals in the women's 50m breaststroke, third most behind United States (11) and Russia (6, all Yuliya Efimova). Australia's last silverware in this event dates back to 2009, when Sarah Katsoulis took bronze.

Women's 50m Freestyle

Sarah Sjöström (SWE)

Sarah Sjöström claimed a medal in the women's 50m freestyle at each of the last three world aquatics championships: bronze in 2015, gold in 2017 and silver in 2019.

Sjöström could win a record-equalling fourth world championships medal in this event, set by Therese Alshammer (SWE, G1-S3-B0), Marleen Veldhuis (NED, G0-S1-B3) and Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED, G1-S3-B0).

Sjöström can become the third woman to win the 50m freestyle world title multiple times, after Inge de Bruijn (NED, 2) and Libby Trickett (AUS, 2).

At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Sjöström took silver in this event behind Emma McKeon (AUS), who will not participate in Budapest.

Sweden picked up seven medals in the women's 50m freestyle at the FINA World Championships, third most behind Netherlands (10) and Australia (8).


Australia

Australia is level with Netherlands (both 3) for most world titles in the women's 50m freestyle. Libby Trickett (AUS, 2005 and 2007) and Bronte Campbell (AUS, 2015) won Australia's gold medals.

Australia won eight world championships medals in this event, second most behind Netherlands (10). Sweden follows in third place on seven medals. Cate Campbell (AUS) took bronze in 2019.

Shayna Jack (AUS) won the women's 50m freestyle at the Australian Trials in 24.14. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, that time would have given her a bronze medal in this event.


Other contenders

Netherlands has claimed 10 medals in the women's 50m freestyle at the world aquatics championships (G3-S4-B3), most for the country in a specific event. These medals were won by three athletes: Inge de Bruijn (G2-S0-B0), Ranomi Kromowidjojo (G1-S3-B0) and Marleen Veldhuis (G0-S1-B3).

After Simone Manuel's (USA) gold medal in this event at the 2019 FINA World Championships, United States could become the first country to win the women's 50m freestyle at successive world aquatics championships since Australia (2005-2007).

Kasia Wasick (POL) placed joint-fifth in this event at Tokyo 2020. The only female swimmer representing Poland to pick up a medal in any event at the FINA World Championships is Otylia Jedrzejczak (G2-S3-B2).

China could pick up its first world championships medal in the women's 50m freestyle since 2005, when Zhu Yingwen finished in bronze position.

Women's 400m Individual Medley

Katinka Hosszú (HUN)

Katinka Hosszú won the women's 400m individual medley a record five times at the world aquatics championships. The Hungarian won this event in 2009 and at four successive championships from 2013 to 2019.

Hosszú can become the first swimmer to win six gold medals in a specific event at the FINA World Championships. In all disciplines, only diver Wu Minxia (CHN, 7 in women's 3m springboard synchro) and artistic swimmer Svetlana Romashina (RUS, 6 in duet free routine and 6 in duet technical routine) have already achieved this.

Hosszú can become the second swimmer to win a specific event at five successive world aquatics championships, after Ryan Lochte (USA) in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay from 2005 to 2013.


Yui Ohashi (JPN)

Yui Ohashi won this event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She became the first Japanese Olympic champion in the women's 400m individual medley.

Ohashi claimed bronze in the women's 400m individual medley at the 2019 FINA World Championships. She won Japan's second world championships medal in this event, after bronze by Yasuko Tajima in 1998.

The three women to win the world title in this event as the reigning Olympic champion are Petra Schneider (GDR, 1982), Yana Klochkova (UKR, 2001 and 2003) and Katinka Hosszú (HUN, 2017 and 2019).

Ohashi could become the first athlete representing an Asian country to claim the world title in this event since Chen Yan (CHN, 1998).


Other contenders

Summer McIntosh (CAN) is the third-fastest woman in the 400m individual medley, recording a time of 4:29.12 in Toronto last March.

Canada picked up two world aquatics championships medals in the women's 400m individual medley, both bronze: by Emily Overholt in 2015 and Sydney Pickrem in 2017.

At the age of 15 years and 311 days (on 25 June), McIntosh can become the youngest medallist in this event at the FINA World Championships since Yana Klochkova (UKR), who took silver in 1998 at age 15y-158d.

Emma Weyant (USA, silver) and Hali Flickinger (USA, bronze) finished on the podium in this event at the Tokyo Games last year. Katie Grimes (USA) has qualified for this event instead of Flickinger (third at US Trials).

United States has claimed a record 14 medals in the women's 400m individual medley at the world aquatics championships (next 9 by East Germany).

USA's most recent podium finish in this event at the FINA World Championships dates back to 2015, when Maya DiRado took silver behind Katinka Hosszú (HUN).

USA won this event four times at the world aquatics championships, one shy of the record by Hungary (5, all Hosszú). Elizabeth Beisel's (USA) win in 2011 is the country's last gold medal in this event.

Australia claimed four medals in the women's 400m individual medley at the FINA World Championships, but none of those is gold (G0-S1-B3). The last Australian to reach the podium in this event was Stephanie Rice, who finished third in 2011.

Hungary's only other medal in this event at the world aquatics championships apart from Hosszú's five gold medals was a silver by Éva Risztov in 2003.

Women's 4x100m Medley Relay

United States

United States won the women's 4x100 medley relay a record seven times at the world aquatics championships. China (4), East Germany (4) and Australia (3) won the other gold medals in this event.

Team USA won this event at four of the last five FINA World Championships (2011, 2013, 2017, 2019), with China's victory in 2015 as the exception. USA can become the first country to win three successive world titles in this event.

USA finished on the podium in this event at 16 of the previous 18 world aquatics championships (G7-S9-B0). The only exceptions were a 10th place in 2009 and a fourth place in 2015.

United States took silver behind Australia in the women's 4x100m medley relay at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. It marked USA's 10th successive Olympic medal in this event (G6-S4-B0).

Lilly King (USA) and Mallory Comerford (USA) could equal Leisel Jones (AUS) on a record three world titles in this event.


Australia

Australia won the women's 4x100m medley relay at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in an Olympic record of 3:51.60.

Australia claimed three gold medals in this event at the world aquatics championships: in 2001, 2005 and 2007. At the 2005 and 2007 FINA World Championships, Australia claimed the world title as the reigning Olympic champion.

Australia finished on the podium in this event at 12 of the previous 18 FINA World Championships (G3-S5-B4), including at each of the last 11 editions. The last time Australia failed to win a world championships medal in this event was 1994 (4th place).

Only United States (16) collected as many world championships medals in the women's 4x100m medley relay as Australia (12).

Of the Australia team to race in the Olympic final in Tokyo, only Kaylee McKeown (AUS) will compete in Budapest. Brianna Throssell (AUS) and Mollie O'Callaghan (AUS), who competed in the heats in Tokyo, will also participate.


Other contenders

Canada took bronze in this event at Tokyo 2020. It marked the country's first Olympic medal in this event since 1988 (bronze).

At the 2019 FINA World Championships, Canada finished third in the women's 4x100m medley relay. It was Canada's first world championships medal in this event.

Italy placed fourth at the most recent FINA World Championships (Gwangju 2019) and sixth in this event at the most recent Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020). Italy has yet to win its first world championships medal in this event.

China finished in the top-six in this event at each of the last 10 world aquatics championships (2001-2019). In this period, China won three gold, one silver and two bronze medals in this event.

Sweden won one medal in the women's 4x100m medley relay at the FINA World Championships: silver in 2015.