World Championships, Day Three Semifinals: Qin Haiyang Storms to Front of 50 Breaststroke in Dominant Effort

Haiyang Qin of China compete in the Men's Breaststroke 50m Heats during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 25th, 2023.

Qin Haiyang -- Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

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World Championships, Day Three Semifinals: Qin Haiyang Storms to Front of 50 Breaststroke in Dominant Effort

Before this year’s World Championships, Qin Haiyang had earned just two global-level medals in his career, both at the lesser-attended Short Course World Championships, both in the 200 breaststroke and never gold. But all the sudden this year, the 24-year-old Qin has become the world’s premier sprint breaststroker, having already captured gold in the 100 breast by more than a second over a trio of decorated veterans. Now, a second gold medal in the 50 breast looks like a foregone conclusion.

Qin was dominant in the semifinals Tuesday, recording the top overall qualifying mark by more than a half-second as he powered to a time of 26.20. Qin’s prelims mark of 26.34 made him the fifth-fastest performer in history, and now he ranks second all-time, only a quarter-second off the pace of the great Adam Peaty, the only man to ever eclipse 26 seconds. Qin’s time is the seventh-fastest swim in history behind six efforts from Peaty recorded between 2017 and 2019.

But while Qin owns a huge advantage over the rest of the group, the rest of the field is separated by just three tenths. Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi, who owns the second-quickest best time in the field at 26.33, qualified second in 26.74, with Qin’s Chinese teammate Sun Jiajun third in 26.78.

Germany’s Lucas Matzerath (26.89) and Brazil’s Joao Gomes (26.90) placed fourth and fifth, respectively, while the defending world champion will take on the final from lane seven. American Nic Fink touched out Martinenghi for the gold last year in Budapest, and one day after he tied with Martinenghi and Arno Kamminga for silver in the 100 breast, Fink swam a time of 26.95 here.

Slovenia’s Peter Stevens (27.04) and Australia’s Sam Williamson (27.06) earned the last two spots in the final, denying Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo a spot in the final by one hundredth.

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kevin

10 months ago

bro the goat, my prediction if he did the 200 rn he would go wr or atleast 2:06