Hangzhou, China was record central on night three of the FINA World Short Course Championships. The session was bookended by a pair of World Records. Russian Kirill Prigoda clocked the 200 breaststroke world record. At the end of the night the American Mixed 4×50 Medley Relay added a record of their own.
In between Ranomi Kromowidjojo set the Championship record in the 100 free and Mallory Comerford set an American record. In the semi-finals of the 100 IM Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov posted a new World Junior record. Caeleb Dressel also earned an American record, lowering his own 50 freestyle mark he’d set in prelims.
Order of Events
- Men’s 200 Breaststroke
- Women’s 100 Freestyle
- Men’s 100 IM (semi-final)
- Women’s 200 Backstroke
- Men’s 50 Freestyle (semi-final)
- Women’s 50 Butterfly (semi-final)
- Men’s 100 Butterfly
- Women’s 100 IM (semi-final)
- Men’s 50 Backstroke (semi-final)
- Women’s 800 Freestyle
- Mixed 4×50 Medley Relay
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
The meet and World record fell in the first event of the night. Kirill Prigoda of Russia led start to finish to touch the wall in 2:00.16, slipping under Germany’s Marco Koch‘s World Record of 2:00.44. Koch was over a second back, touching third in 2:01.42.
The home country’s Haiyang Qin earned silver with a 2:01.15, a new Asian Record. After turning in second at the halfway mark, Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki finished fourth (2:02.18).
American Josh Prenot finished fifth in 2:03.12, taking a tenth off his prelims swim, and moving him up to third on the All-Time US Performers list, just .05 ahead of Ed Moses.
Russia’s Mikhail Dorinov (2:03.20), the Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga (2:03.72), and Sweden’s Erik Persson (2:04.15) also competed in the final.
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Women’s 100 Freestyle
Dutch sprinter Ranomi Kromowidjojo was first to the wall in a 51.14 to win the world title in the 100 freestyle, setting a new Championship Record in the process. The previous record was a 51.37, held by her fellow countrywoman Femke Heemskerk. Heemskerk finished runner up tonight, touching in 51.60.
American Mallory Comerford was just .03 behind, in a 51.63 for bronze, a new American Record, just .06 faster than the 51.69 Simone Manuel posted at Duel in the Pool in 2015.
Over a second behind the winner was Michelle Coleman of Sweden in 52.24, and China’s Zhu Menghui in 52.40.
Barbora Seemanova (52.46) of Czech Republic, the USA’s Lia Neal (52.50), and Russia’s Erin Gallagher (53.14) rounded out the top eight.
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Men’s 100 IM (Semi-Finals)
Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov set a new World Junior record en route to the top seed in the 100 IM. He hit the wall in 50.90, a full four tenths of a second under his own mark.
Italy’s Marco Orsi and the USA’s Michael Andrew go into the final as the second and third seeds, with times of 51.42 and 51.44, respectively. Though he swam in heat one tonight, Japan’s Hiromasa Fujimori is right along with that duo, entering finals with a 51.50.
China’s Wang Shun (51.92), Brazil’s Caio Pumputis (52.15), Russia’s Sergei Fesikov (52.31), and Hong Kong’s Kenneth To (52.33) also earned lanes in tomorrow night’s final.
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Women’s 200 Backstroke
Following a Dutch gold-silver in the 100 free, the Americans responded with a one-two finish in the 200 backstroke as Lisa Bratton and Kathleen Baker got to the wall nearly in synch, in times of 2:00.71 and 2:00.79. Baker was out like a rocket and led the whole way through the 150. Bratton had the fastest final 50 meters in the field.
That time keeps Bratton as the third fastest American ever, improving on her 2:01.00 from prelims. Baker remains the second fastest ever, having posted a 2:00.69 at a World Cup meet this fall.
Australia’s Emily Seebohm finished in 2:01.37 for bronze. Hungarian Katinka Hosszu finished short of the podium in her first race of the night, touching fourth in 2:01.99.
Italy’s Margherita Panziera (2:02.50), Russia’s Daria Ustinova (2:02.96) and Japanese swimmers Sayaka Akase (2:03.92) and Emi Moronuki (2:05.80) rounded out the top eight.
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Men’s 50 Freestyle Semi-Final
Caeleb Dressel lowered the American record in semi-finals of the 50 freestyle, touching in 20.51, faster than his 20.62 from this morning. That time earns him the top finals seed, a full two tenths ahead of Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud in 20.71. Vladimir Morozov of Russia had the third fastest swim, a 20.83.
Australian Cameron McEvoy (20.91), Lithuania’s Simonas Bilis (21.03) Brazilian Cesar Cielo (21.06), and South Africa’s Bradley Tandy (21.07) also advance to tomorrow night’s final. There will have to be a swim off for the final spot as both the Netherlands’ Jesse Puts and Poland’s Pawel Jurasek got to the wall in 21.12.
Coming right off his 100 IM semifinal, American Michael Andrew failed to advance to finals, touching in 21.18.
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Women’s 50 Butterfly Semi-Final
After winning the 100 free earlier in the evening, in the semi-final of the 50 butterfly, Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands took the to seed for finals in 24.84. On her heels were Australia’s Holly Barratt (24.91) and Kelsi Dahlia (24.93). Dahlia beat her own American Record, set at SC Worlds in 2016, by .01.
Kromowidjojo’s teammate Maaike de Waard also heads to finals with a time of 25.17.
France’s Melanie Henique (25.24) and Wang Yichun of China (25.44) are the fifth and sixth seeds, while Canada’s Haley Black and Germany’s Aliena Schmidtke tied for the last spot in 25.60.
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Men’s 100 Butterfly
South African World Record holder Chad Le Clos defended his short course world title in the 100 fly, winning the event in 48.50 tonight. He was a full two tenths ahead of American Caeleb Dressel, who had just swum the 50 free, in 48.71. That was a new lifetime best for Dressel, bringing him within sight of Tom Shields‘ American record of 48.63.
The two were well ahead of the field. China’s Li Zhuhao earned the bronze in a new Asian Record of 49.25.
France’s Mehdy Metella and Germany’s Marius Jusch were fourth and fifth. Japan’s Takeshi Kawamoto (50.07), USA’s Jack Conger (50.32), and Italy’s Piero Codia (50.71) also swam in the final.
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Women’s 100 IM Semi-Final
After a fourth place 200 backstroke, Katinka Hosszu of Hungary earned the top spot for tomorrow’s 100 IM final, where she’ll be the defending World Champion. Tonight she went a 57.69, over a second off her World Record time.
Japan got two swimmers into the final, with Runa Imai (58.04) taking the second seed and Rika Omoto (58.60) tying for sixth with Finland’s Jenna Laukkanen.
Jamaican Alia Atkinson posted the third fastest time of the night in 58.20. Americans Melanie Margalis (58.33) and Kathleen Baker (58.54) are fourth and fifth. Australia’s backstroker Emily Seebohm snagged the eighth spot (58.64).
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Men’s 50 Backstroke Semi-Final
Russian Evgeny Rylov has earned the middle lane for tomorrow’s 50 backstroke final with a 22.68. His fellow countryman and 100 IM World Junior record holder Kliment Kolesnikov will also earn a finals bid, with his seventh fastest 23.15.
The United States’ Ryan Murphy is the second seed in 22.87 while Xu Jiayu of China is third seed in 22.91.
Irelands’ Shane Ryan (22.96), Brazil’s Guilherme Guido (23.00), and Italy’s Simone Sabbioni (23.10) are fourth through sixth. Germany’s Christian Diener took the eighth spot (23.18).
Australia’s Mitch Larkin and American Matt Grevers tied for tenth in 23.22, missing out on a finals swim.
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Women’s 800 Freestyle
Wang Jianjiahe of China sailed to an early lead in front of a home crowd in the 800 free. She won the event in 8:04.35, nearly four seconds ahead of her fellow medalists. Italy’s Simona Quadarella and the United States’ Leah Smith swam within tenths of each other for most of the 800. Despite a strong final 50 meters from Smith, Quadarella won the silver in 8:08.03 ahead of Smith in bronze with a 8:08.75.
Another Chinese woman, Li Bingjie finished fourth in 8:09.81. Fifth went to Sarah Kohler of Germany in 8:10.54. Russia’s Anna Egorova (8:12.65), American Haley Anderson (8:18.70) and Japan’s Mayuko Goto (8:22.10) rounded out the top heat.
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Mixed 4×50 Medley Relay
Caeleb Dressel catapulted the Americans to the gold medal in the mixed 4×50 medley relay. Splitting a 20.09 the team touched first in 1:36.40, setting a new World Record in the process. Olivia Smoliga, Michael Andrew, and Kelsi Dahlia swam the first three legs.
The Netherlands’ Jesse Puts, Ties Elzerman, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, and Femke Heemskerek finished second.
Russia led after the backstroke as the team of Kliment Kolesnikov, Oleg Kostin, Rozaliya Nasretdinova, and Mariia Kameneva ultimately finished third in 1:37.33.
Japan (1:37.67) and Italy (1:38.08) were fourth and fifth. Germany (1:38.35), Australia (1:38.69), and Finland (1:39.38) completed the finals heat.
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