Men’s 400m Freestyle - Kim Woo-min Adds to Korea’s Freestyle Momentum to Open up Swimming Program

Republic of Korea’s Kim Woomin set the pace in the men’s 400m freestyle final on the first night of the swimming program at the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024, swimming away from the field on the first 200 meters in hopes of breaking the rest of the field and forcing them to get out of their comfort zone.

Kim, who had made the finals in Budapest 2022 and Fukuoka 2023 in this event, didn’t have a lot of attention on him coming into the final. Most of the attention was going to the gold and silver medalist from Budapest 2022 in Australia’s Elijah Winnington and Germany’s Lukas Martens as well as the only swimmer to set a short course meters world record last year in Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen. Without the defending Olympic champion in Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui, this race was up for grabs.

Kim took the race out hard, flipping at 1:49.17 on the first 200, four tenths faster than Ian Thorpe’s pace from 2002. The 23-year-old Korean held about a second and a half lead on the rest of the field as the only question was whether he could hold on for his first major long course medal.

On the back half, Winnington and Martens slowly but surely tried to run him down, but Kim held his own, and won Korea’s first World title in the men’s 400m freestyle since Park Tae-hwan won gold in Shanghai 2011.

“I worked very hard before this championship and also during this competition,” Kim said. “The 200m was the crucial point when I started to feel my legs but I managed to keep it until the finish. I will continue the hard work towards the Olympic Games in Paris and I believe that I can fight for gold there. I believe I can do it. I have to thank my coach and my parents.”

Kim touched at 3:42.71, with Winnington the silver at 3:42.86, and Martens his third straight podium with a bronze at 3:42.96. Kim improved on his sixth place finish in Budapest and his fifth place finish in Fukuoka.

“I was planning a race like this,” Kim said. “I always try to give a fast pace and push as hard as I can from the start. In the beginning I couldn’t see where my rivals were, but in the last 50 meters, I knew they were getting really close. In the end, I pushed with all the energy I had left and I just hoped that I would be the one to finish first.”

Kim was last year’s Asian Games champion in this event as he is a part of the Korean renaissance in men’s freestyle and will join forces with World short course champion Hwang Sun-woo in the 4x200m freestyle later in the week where a gold medal is certainly a possibility.

Winnington, who trains with coach Dean Boxall, returned to the Worlds podium after winning gold in Budapest 2022, but finishing seventh in Fukuoka 2023. This is Australia’s fourth straight medal in this event at the World Championships.

“I am in a really good head space,” Winnington said. “Coming back off the disappointing Olympics, my first one in Tokyo, had a really good 2022, and a disappointing last year. Now, I’m in a really good stride. That is the second-best time in my career, and I am really happy.

“I went back and changed a lot with my gym program. Also mentally, I’m in a really good head space, I’m enjoying my swimming. The World Championships last year in Fukuoka, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the defending world champion. This time, I just wanted to have no pressure on me and go out there and just enjoy it.”

Martens won his third straight medal after winning silver in Budapest and bronze in Fukuoka.

“It was a fast swim from the beginning on,” Martens said. “I am very happy with this final and the medal. It was interesting to try different tactics. I am usually the one who is taking the pace from the beginning on. It was interesting that I had to cope with it. I could see Kim´s leg as he was ahead of us. It was a good start to the championship. And it is getting better. It is fantastic for me. Getting the three world championships in a row and three world medals. I am just a young swimmer and I have a lot to go. Paris is the biggest goal of the year and the focus is on Paris.”

Brazil’s Guilherme Costa finished fourth at 3:44.22, ahead of Belgium’s Lucas Henveaux (3:44.61) and Sweden’s Viktor Johansson (3:45.87)

Wiffen was hardly a factor in the race, unable to get going on the back half as he was seventh at 3:46.65 ahead of his Loughborough training mate Felix Auboeck (3:51.60).

Women’s 400m freestyle - Erika Fairweather makes history for New Zealand

New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather made history for her nation on Sunday evening in Doha by winning the first ever World Championships gold medal in swimming for New Zealand, taking the 400m freestyle gold medal at 3:59.44. The time is a new best time for the 21-year-old, who won a surprising bronze in last year’s heavily hyped up final at the World Championships, as she was 3:59.59 in Fukuoka.

New Zealand has had a strong history in the 400m freestyle, with Lauren Boyle winning the nation’s first Worlds medal on the women’s side in this event with a bronze in Barcelona 2013. The nation’s first Olympic gold medal in swimming came from Danyon Loader in the 200m and 400m freestyle in Atlanta 1996, so it’s only fitting that Fairweather brings the nation’s first Worlds gold medal in the 400m freestyle. New Zealand had a second finalist in Eve Thomas as she was seventh at 4:05.87.

“I’m so proud of myself, I couldn’t have wanted anything better from tonight!” Fairweather said. “This is what you expect when you come to a World Championships, right?

“I saw a big opportunity to win tonight and I am really excited that I could take a hold of it and win the gold.”

Fairweather, who swims with coach Lars Humer in Dunedin, was hardly challenged during the race, with the silver going the way of short course world record holder Li Bingjie of the People’s Republic of China at 4:01.62. This is Li’s seventh career medal at the World Championships.

“I would like to achieve a time under 4:00,” Li said. “I’m looking for a breakthrough before entering the Paris Olympics. Actually I was striving to achieve a gold medal in this event.

“My wish for the Chinese New Year is to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games. I believe this is also the New Year’s wish of every athlete.”

Germany’s Isabel Gose won the bronze medal for her first career medal at the World Aquatics Championships, touching at 4:02.39, holding off the likes of Brazil’s Maria de Oliveira (4:02.86) and Gabrielle Roncatto (4:04.18).

“I am just so proud of myself,” Gose said. “It’s the Olympic ticket and the first time I finished under 4:03. So it is great and I am so happy.

“I think we have to build up and see what next month brings on. I have my Olympic ticket for the flight to Paris. I think it’s the time - I am really proud about it. It’s the first time I am under 4:03 and I have been trying to put the mark for two years and now it has happened so I am just so stoked.”

 

Gose finally broke through for her first Worlds medal, as she comes from the same training pool as the men’s bronze medalist from earlier in Lukas Martens. Both Gose and Martens are trained by coach Bernd Berkhahn in Magdeburg.

16-year-old Yang Peiqi of China was sixth at 4:05.73, while 15-year-old Agostina Hein was eighth at 4:10.33.

Women’s 4x100m freestyle - Marrit Steenbergen carries Netherlands to gold medal with 52.35 anchor leg

The Netherlands came from eighth to first on the final 200 meters of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay to steal the gold medal from Australia on the first night of swimming. This is the first gold medal in this relay for the Netherlands since the Olympic quartet won in Shanghai 2011.

The team of Kim Busch (55.21), Janna van Kooten (55.24), Kira Toussaint (53.81) and Marrit Steenbergen (52.35) ran down Australia to win the gold at 3:36.61, with the Australians in second at 3:36.93. The Dutch were eighth at the halfway point, but stayed close enough for Toussaint and Steenbergen to do their thing and run down the field.

“I think winning the gold is beyond our expectations,” Steenbergen said. “We thought we could win a medal, we knew it was gonna be really tough, but to get away with the gold, we did not expect that at all!”

The Australians have won the last three World titles, but were dethroned tonight as the team of Brianna Throssell (54.29), Alexandria Perkins (55.02), Abbey Harkin (54.98), and Shayna Jack (52.64) could not keep the streak going.

Canada returned to the podium for the bronze medal at 3:37.95. The team of Rebecca Smith (54.93), Sarah Fournier (55.28), Katerine Savard (54.48), and Taylor Ruck (53.26) improved on their seventh place finish in Fukuoka to get back to the podium after winning silver at the 2020 Olympics and 2022 Worlds.

Poland finished just off the podium in fourth at 3:38.65 after leading for 200 meters. Italy (3:38.67), Brazil (3:40.56), China (3:41.11), and Slovenia (3:41.72) also completed in the championship final.

The quickest splits outside the top three came from Poland’s Kasia Wasick (54.12) and Kornelia Fiedkiewicz (54.23), Brazil’s Stephanie Balduccini (54.35) and Italy’s Sofia Morini (54.49).

Men’s 4x100m freestyle - Pan Zhanle blasts Popovici’s 100m freestyle world record to propel China to unexpected gold

To much of the world’s surprise, it was the Chinese anthem being played to close out the first night of the swimming program at the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024.

Pan Zhanle, who was born 10 days before the 2004 Athens Olympics, broke David Popovici’s world record in the lead-off leg, taking the record from 46.86 to 46.80.

Pan had been building on this, finishing fourth in the 100m freestyle at the last two World Championships, and also won the Asian Games gold medal last year in 46.97, becoming the fifth swimmer inside 47 seconds.

“Breaking the world record is an honor for me,” Pan said. “This is a motivation for both young and old swimmers. I believe I can go faster than today’s time. Breaking the world record just came naturally and now my goal is to swim even faster.

“It’s important to focus on myself in order to achieve a better result. The celebration pose in the end came from me and we all loved it. It is truly a magical night!

Out in 22.26, Pan came home on Sunday night in 24.54 to become the first Asian man to ever hold the world record in the 100m freestyle.

China kept the momentum going from there.

The team of Ji Xinjie (48.18), Zhang Zhanshuo (48.63), and Wang Haoyu (47.47) held off the teams from Italy (3:12.08) and the United States (3:12.29) to take the gold for China at 3:11.08. The win gives China its first ever men’s relay gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships.

“I’m lucky to have awesome teammates and we did really well today,” Pan said. “It’s just the first day and I’ve been feeling very excited. This is just a start and I’m looking for a breakthrough. I’ll keep working hard for the Paris Olympics.”

The Italian team gave a valiant effort and won its third straight medal and second straight silver as the team of Alessandro Miressi (47.90), Lorenzo Zazzeri (47.99), Paolo Conte Bonin (47.83), and Manuel Frigo (48.36) could not catch the Chinese.

The Americans, who brought a small team to Doha, won the bronze medal with a team of non-sprinters as Matt King (48.02), Shaine Casas (48.47), Luke Hobson (47.68), and Carson Foster (48.12) kept the medal streak alive for the United States in this relay, winning the nation’s second straight bronze medal at this meet.

Great Britain, despite coming in as heavy favorites, finished fourth overall at 3:12.55, but put its name in the hat for Olympic qualification with the swim tonight.

Hungary (3:13.66), Greece (3:13.67), Serbia (3:13.88), and Spain (3:14.93) also competed in the championship final.

The quickest splits outside the top three came from Great Britain’s Duncan Scott (47.37), Serbia’s Andrej Barna (47.75), Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth (47.89), and Spain’s Luis Dominguez (48.16)

Semis Wrap

Women’s 100m Butterfly

Germany’s Angelina Kohler swam to a lifetime best in the 100m butterfly to set the pace at 56.11 through the first two rounds, putting herself up to ninth on the all-time list. At age 24, she is going for her first World Championships medal after she was fifth in Fukuoka last year.

USA’s Claire Curzan is seeded second at 57.06 ahead of Australia’s Brianna Throssell (57.22) and Sweden’s Louise Hansson (57.28). Curzan is the only finalist for tomorrow that has won an individual medal at the World Aquatics Championships, despite Throssell and Hansson winning medals on relays.

Greece’s Anna Ntountounaki (57.86), South Africa’s Erin Gallagher (57.92), Japan’s Chiharu Iitsuka (58.01), and Australia’s Alexandria Perkins (58.05) will also swim in tomorrow’s championship final.

Men’s 50m Butterfly

After missing Worlds qualification last year, Michael Andrew of the United States returned to his third World Championships final in the 50m butterfly as the top seed with a 22.94 to lead the finalists as the only swimmer inside 23. He won bronze in Budapest 2022 in this event and is going for his seventh career medal tomorrow night.

Dylan Carter of Trinidad & Tobago has never won a medal at the World Aquatics Championships, despite winning three career medals in short course. He is the second seed for tomorrow at 23.15 ahead of Spain’s Mario Molla Yanes (23.17).

Last year’s Worlds silver medalist Diogo Ribeiro of Portugal is seeded tied for fourth with Australia’s Isaac Cooper (23.18) while last year’s 50m freestyle World champ Cameron McEvoy is sixth for Australia at 23.21.

United States’s Shaine Casas (23.22) and Korea’s Baek Inchul (23.24) also qualified for the championship final.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke

Great Britain’s Adam Peaty returned in a big way to the World Aquatics Championships, taking the top seed into tomorrow’s championship final with a 58.60 as this is his first World Championships in long course since 2019.

“I think I see this meet as a stepping stone to where I want to be,” Peaty said after the semis. “Unfortunately Qin (Haiyang) is not here so I can't race him. Sport is meant to be entertaining. Sport is not meant to be dominance. Fortunately, over the last eight years, I've been in a position where I have been able to do what I did. I couldn't even dream of that when I was a kid. But I want to challenge myself. I want someone to push me and I want to push someone. I'm in a very good place and I'm looking forward to a lot of great races.”

Peaty, who won the World title in 2015, 2017, and 2019, is leading the likes of the three silver medalists from last year in Nic Fink (58.73) of the United States, Arno Kamminga (58.87) of the Netherlands, and Nicolo Martinenghi (59.13) of Italy.

Lucas Matzerath (59.30), Caspar Corbeau (59.33), Sam Williamson (59.35), and Ilya Shymanovich (59.40) also qualified for the championship final.

Women’s 200m IM

Last year’s World champ Kate Douglass of the United States eased to the top seed in the semifinals with a 2:08.41 to lead the likes of Canada’s Sydney Pickrem (2:08.76), and China’s Yu Yiting (2:08.83) into tomorrow’s final.

It is expected to be a battle for the silver as Douglass will take aim at the world record of 2:06.12 set by Katinka Hosszu in 2015.

Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko (2:10.15) is seeded fourth and looking for her first major long course medal at the World level. She is ahead of France’s Charlotte Bonnet (2:10.24).

Marrit Steenbergen is seeded sixth ahead of 2:11.23 ahead of Great Britain’s Abbie Wood (2:11.35) and Canada’s Ashley McMillan (2:12.23).