Gretchen Walsh broke three, Kate Douglass broke two, Summer McIntosh broke one, and Noe Ponti broke one world record on the first day of action at the 2024 World Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest.
Women’s 400m freestyle
Canada’s superstar Summer McIntosh opened up the first night of finals of the 2024 World Swimming Championships (25m) with a scintillating world record in the 400m freestyle at 3:50.25. In her first major meet after a three-gold medal showing at the Paris Olympics, McIntosh, age 18, took down Li Bingjie’s world record from 2022 at 3:51.30.
McIntosh, coached by Brent Arckey at the Sarasota Sharks in the United States, took the race out hard, sitting around two seconds under world record pace throughout the race, pulling Australia’s Lani Pallister along with her for about 250 meters.
This is Canada’s first ever gold medal in this event at the World Short Course Championships.
Pallister, coached by Michael Bohl, hung on to win the silver medal at 3:53.73 to set a new Oceania record in the process as she could not successfully repeat her gold from Melbourne 2022. Pallister swam a best time however, after a slightly disappointing summer.
The bronze went the way of Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey (3:54.88), who dropped nearly two full seconds off her best time to run down Paige Madden (3:55.12) of the United States. Harvey sat in sixth for the first 225 meters before she reeled in the field to win the second medal for Canada.
Claire Weinstein (3:56.12) of the United States, finished fifth ahead of Germany’s Isabel Gose (3:56.84), Australia’s Leah Neale (4:01.45) and Sofia Diakova (4:02.27).
Women’s 200m IM
The world records were falling like autumn leaves on Tuesday night at the Duna Arena in Budapest, Hungary as American Kate Douglass broke the fifth global mark of the night with a 2:01.63 in the 200m IM final, lowering Katinka Hosszu’s 2:01.86 from this meet 10 years ago at Doha 2014.
Those championships ten years ago in Qatar saw 24 world records fall, the most at any World Short Course Championships, as these championships may break that record by the time these six days are over.
Douglass finished 1-2 with fellow American Alex Walsh (2:02.65) as the training partners at the University of Virginia for coach Todd DeSorbo gave the Americans their first two medals of the meet. Douglass backed up her gold from Melbourne 2022 as she was the first American to win this event at the World Short Course Championships since Allison Wagner won at the inaugural event in Palma de Mallorca 1993.
Great Britain’s Abbie Wood (2:02.75) put together a very strong race to finish with the bronze medal to move up to fourth all-time. Wood was leading the race for 150 meters before Douglass out-kicked her on the freestyle leg.
Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey (2:04.30) finished fourth overall in her second swim of the night after she won bronze in the 400m freestyle in the opening race. Ireland’s Ellen Walshe (2:05.52) finished fifth after she was 14th in the 50m butterfly earlier tonight as well.
Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey (2:04.30) finished fourth overall in her second swim of the night after she won bronze in the 400m freestyle in the opening race. Ireland’s Ellen Walshe (2:05.52) finished fifth after she was 14th in the 50m butterfly earlier tonight as well.
Men’s 200m IM
American Shaine Casas finally broke through in the big moment in the 200m IM final, winning World Short Course gold on Tuesday in Budapest. After he went 1:55 two summers ago in long course meters, Casas finished fourth in Fukuoka 2023 and ninth in Paris 2024. Two straight majors, and no medals to show for it.
On Tuesday, Casas pushed Leon Marchand’s world record pace for all it was worth, as he won gold at 1:49.51, lowering Ryan Lochte’s championship record of 1:49.63 from Istanbul 2012.
Although Casas won the 100m backstroke at this meet in Abu Dhabi 2021, this swim feels like a huge breakthrough for the 24-year-old.
Italy’s Alberto Razzetti, coached by Stefano Franceschi, won silver at 1:50.88, upgrading his bronze in this event from Abu Dhabi 2021.
Canada’s Finlay Knox won the third medal of the night for his nation with bronze at 1:50.90, swimming away from American Carson Foster (1:51.32), who finished fourth after sitting in the top three for 150 meters.
Australia’s David Schlicht (1:52.81) finished fifth ahead of Ilia Borodin (1:52.87), Turkey’s Berke Saka (1:53.29) and 2021 champion Daiya Seto (1:54.01) of Japan.
Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi broke through in a major way in winning Tuesday’s 1500m freestyle gold medal on the first night of the 2024 World Swimming Championships (25m). Jaouadi claimed gold at 14:16.40 in a thrilling virtual race with Germany’s Florian Wellbrock (14:17.27), who swam his race earlier today.
With the race being timed finals, only one swim was required and Wellbrock competed in the “slower heats” based on his seed time.
This is Wellbrock’s first medal at a Worlds or Olympics since 2023 and the first in the pool since 2022.
Jaouadi, who was fourth in the 800m in Paris and sixth in the 1500m, made his first podium at age 19.
“To be honest, I just tried doing the heat,” Jaouadi said. “I wasn’t expecting to win but I was expecting to medal – I was thinking second or third but I wasn’t expecting first. It’s good.”
Women’s 4x100m Freestyle
The Americans kept the world records rolling with the women’s team of Kate Douglass (50.95), Katharine Berkoff (51.38), Alex Shackell (52.01), and Gretchen Walsh (50.67) breaking Australia’s world record from Melbourne 2022 with a 3:25.01, lowering the record Australia set at 3:25.43.
Since the world record was set in 1993, the United States has never held the world record in this event in short course meters, despite winning the World titles in 2004, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2021.
“I thought it was pretty cool,” Shackell said. “It was the first world record I have been a part of so that’s a dream come true. I feel like it’s just building off of this summer and things are going really well and I am looking forward to the rest of the week.”
This was the third world record of the day for Walsh, who took a final exam today in between sessions.
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle
The United States got the world record back in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay from the team of Jack Alexy (45.05), Luke Hobson (45.18), Kieran Smith (46.01), and Chris Guiliano (45.42) at 3:01.66, pushing the 3:00 mark for all it was worth. Alexy set the tone on the lead-off, breaking the championship record in the process.
It’s pretty amazing that we swam a world record and even more amazing with the USA flag on my swim cap,” Alexy said. “I am really fortunate and also happy to be here representing my country.”
The Americans got the world record back that the Italians set two years ago in Melbourne at these championships.
“I love that relay and love starting the meet with a bang on day one,” Smith said. “I get a little bit of time off tomorrow and get ready for my individual race on Thursday.”
The Italians finished second here at 3:03.65 with the team of Alessandro Miressi (45.95), Leonardo Deplano (45.76), Lorenzo Zazzeri (46.21), and Manuel Frigo (45.73), as they made the podium for the third straight championships.
The bronze went the way of Poland (3:04.46) with the team of Kamil Sieradzki (46.33), Jakub Majerski (46.04), Ksawery Masiuk (45.64), and Kacper Stokowski (46.45) winning Poland’s first relay medal at a Worlds or Olympics.
That team won the battle for bronze over the Neutral Athletes (3:04.62) and Brazil (3:04.84).
The quickest splits outside the top three came from Australia’s Matthew Temple (45.60), Brazil’s Guilherme Santos (45.79), Andrei Minakov (45.81), and Brazil’s Kaique Alves (45.82).
Spain (3:05.57) finished sixth ahead of Croatia (3:05.68) and Australia (3:05.76).
Semis Wrap
Women’s 50m Butterfly
Like clockwork, Gretchen Walsh of the United States broke the second world record in the 50m butterfly in as many attempts as she became the first woman to break 24 seconds in the event at 23.94.
After the world record stood stagnant since 2009, Therese Alshammar’s 24.38 from the 2009 World Cup in Singapore is no longer as Walsh has an opportunity to go even faster tomorrow in the final.
“Swimming under the 24 mark was pretty insane, I am honestly just hoping that I can go faster and keep the streak going,” Walsh said.
“I love setting goals for myself based on barriers I can break. I honestly am hoping that I can go faster tomorrow and keep the streaking going which would be insane.
“This morning I was really long into my turn so tonight I just tried to make my strokes longer on the first 25 so I didn’t have so much glide into the wall and I think I did that. I think I executed the race better.”
France and the Netherlands will each have two participants in the final tomorrow with the likes of Beryl Gastaldello (24.67) and Melanie Henique (24.93) representing the French team, as well as Tessa Giele (24.68) and Maaike de Waard (24.76) representing the Dutch.
Arina Surkova will also be in tomorrow’s final as the fourth seed at 24.71.
Men’s 50m Butterfly
Noe Ponti of Switzerland lowered his own world record in the 50m butterfly for the third time this year, setting the fourth world record of the meet on the first day of the World Short Course Championships in Budapest.
Ponti’s 21.43 comes off his two world records from the World Cup earlier this season as the world record started out this year at 21.75.
“It was a nice race,” Ponti said. “I hope that I can swim as many world records as I want. The important thing is to swim fast tomorrow, because I know these guys will be ready.”
In each of Ponti’s World Cup wins earlier this year, Nyls Korstanje of the Netherlands was right beside him in second. For tomorrow’s final, Korstanje is the second seed at 21.81.
This will be the first World Short Course Championships without Nicholas Santos in the 50m butterfly field since Manchester 2008 as Ponti will look to upgrade his silver from Melbourne 2022 to gold in Budapest 2024.
Canada’s Ilya Kharun (21.93) is seeded third after a strong night already from the Canadians as he is ahead of Germany’s Marius Kusch (21.99) and Singapore’s Tzen Wei Teong (22.04).
Grigori Pekarski (22.05), Italy’s Michele Busa (22.08), and Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo (22.09) also qualified for the final.
Women’s 100m Backstroke
In the first race of the night without a record, American Regan Smith (55.05) secured lane four for tomorrow’s final in the 100m backstroke ahead of teammate Katharine Berkoff (55.37). Smith and Berkoff won gold and silver in Paris earlier this summer, and will take aim at Smith’s world record of 54.27 that she set in November of this year.
Canada advanced two to tomorrow’s final with Ingrid Wilm (55.85) and Kylie Masse (56.06) in third and fifth. Masse was the silver medal winner in Windsor 2016 and Abu Dhabi 2021, while Wilm won bronze in Melbourne 2022.
Australia’s Iona Anderson (55.99) is seeded fourth ahead of Anastasiya Shkurdai (56.07), Spain’s Carmen Weiler (56.09) and 2021 World champion Louise Hansson (56.17) of Sweden.
Men’s 100m Backstroke
Hungary has a chance for its first medal tomorrow with the likes of Olympic 200m champion Hubert Kos (49.03) putting up the fastest time in the semis. Kos will have plenty of push from Miron Lifintsev (49.07) as they went back and forth in their semi heat.
Defending silver medalist from Melbourne 2022, Lorenzo Mora (49.54) of Italy, is seeded fourth behind Poland’s Kacper Stokowski (49.20).
Pavel Samusenko (49.88) of the Neutral Athletes also qualified for tomorrow’s final along with South Africa’s Ruard Van Renen (49.89), Australia’s Isaac Cooper (50.01) and Canada’s Blake Tierney (50.03).