The 2024 World Aquatics Championship had four semifinal events on Day 5 from Doha.
Swimmers punched their tickets into the finals in the women’s 100 freestyle, men’s 200 breaststroke, women’s 200 breaststroke and men’s 200 backstroke.
World Championships: Women’s 100 Freestyle Semis
Marrit Steenbergen threw down a record-breaking 100 freestyle to take the top seed into the finals.
Continuing the Dutch tradition of elite sprinters, she broke the Netherlands record to finish in 52.53 and earn the final’s top seed.
Steenbergen’s swim broke the Dutch record, eclipsing Femke Heemskerk’s mark of 52.69 from April 2015.
Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who won the 200 freestyle Wednesday and earned the silver medal in the 100 free in Tokyo, took the second seed in 52.92 and will be looming.
Great Britain sprinter Anna Hopkin took the third seed in 53.13, just ahead of Australia’s Shayna Jack (53.16).
Also looming is USA’s Kate Douglass, who took the fifth seed in 53.31. She has been one of the world’s most versatile swimmers but can also flat-out sprint.
Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova took the sixth seed (53.76), followed by Poland’s Kornelia Fiedkiewicz (54.01) and Brazil’s Stephanie Balduccini (54.07).
World Championships: Men’s 200 Breaststroke Semis
Jake Foster got to the wall first in a close 200 breaststroke semifinal. The USA swimmer finished in 2:08.78 to earn the top seed in tomorrow’s finals.
China’s Dong Zhihao was a close second at 2:09.16, swimming in the same semifinal heat as Foster.
Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands took the third seed in 2:09.34, while Finland’s Matti Mattsson and Japan’s Ikuru Hiroshima tied for the fourth spot at 2:09.43.
USA’s Nic Fink grabbed the sixth seed with a swim of 2:09.87, followed by Sweden’s Erik Persson (2:01.04) and Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands, who took the eighth spot in 2:10.30.
World Championships: Women’s 200 Breaststroke Semis
After swimming in the 100 freestyle semis earlier in the session, USA’s Kate Douglass was back in the 200 breaststroke.
Douglass took the second seed in 2:23.17, finishing behind Tes Schouten of the Netherlands, who got to the wall in 2:21.50. That broke her own Dutch record by two hundredths of a second.
Canada’s Sydney Pickrem took the third seed in 2:23.77.
Douglass and Pickrem likely have plenty more in the tank and it should be an exciting race in the finals.
Alina Smushka took the third seed in 2:24.14, followed by Switzerland’s Lisa Mamie (2:24.62), Lithuania’s Kortryna Teterevkova (2:24.69), Ireland’s Mona McSharry (2:25.13) and Czech Republic’s Kristyna Horska (2:25.34).
World Championships: Men’s 200 Backstroke Semis
USA’s Jack Aikins used a quick start to propel him to the top seed in the 200 backstroke.
Aikins had a 0.58 reaction time then swam the first 50 in 27.05, but it was his 29.13 second 50 that put him into the lead for good.
Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez took the second seed in 1:56.38, just behind Aikins. They were in separate semifinal heats, but head-to-head could be a pretty epic duel.
South Korea’s Juho Lee took the third seed in 1:56.40, followed by Hungary’s Adam Telegdy (1:56.65), Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov (1:56.72), Greece’s Apostolos Siskos (1:56.82), Kai van Westering of the Netherlands (1:56.91) and South Africa’s Pieter Coetze (1:57.07).
- 2024 World Championships Meet Home
- How to Watch: 2024 World Aquatics Championships to be Covered Live on Peacock
- 2024 World Championships – Omega Results
