Finance
The United States finished the World Aquatics Championships on a high note, capturing three of the six available titles. China, on the other hand, finished first in the final standings with a total of 20 gold medals.
The United States swim team, which won 14 gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest last year, took home seven this time, in addition to 20 silver and 11 bronze.
Hunter Armstrong, who set a world record in the men’s 50m backstroke with a timing of 24.05 seconds, led the American onslaught. Justin Ress, the defending champion, won silver in 24.24 seconds.
China’s Xu Jiayu, a two-time world champion in the 100m backstroke, took bronze in 24.50 seconds.
In the men’s and women’s 4x100m medley relays, the United States added two additional gold medals to their collection.
China won silver in the men’s relay thanks to four-gold medalist Qin Haiyang, but missed out on a podium spot in the women’s competition.
“I was very excited to race in the relay,” said Qin, the first swimmer to sweep all three breaststroke events. “Everybody is close to their physical limits on the last day’s competition. It is amazing to get the silver medal.”
Qin, who helped China win the mixed 100m medley relay and established a world record in the 200m race, was beaten out by France’s Leon Marchand in the World Aquatics vote for best male swimmer.
Marchand, a three-time individual gold winner, was much favored, owing in large part to his breaking of Michael Phelps’ 15-year-old world record in the men’s 400m individual medley.
Kaylee McKeown of Australia, who won gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke events, was chosen the best female swimmer.
Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden won the women’s 50m freestyle title, adding to her 100m butterfly gold. This was the 30-year-old’s 12th World Championship gold medal in 14 years.
Shayna Jack of Australia finished second, and Zhang Yufei of China, who won the women’s 100m butterfly, took bronze.
Summer McIntosh, 16, of Canada, retained her championship in the women’s 400m individual medley, adding to her gold in the 200m butterfly.
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania broke the women’s 50m breaststroke world record in 29.16 seconds, cutting 0.14 seconds off the previous mark of 29.30 established by Benedetta Pilato of Italy in 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Fukuoka World Championships in swimming, diving, water polo, open water swimming, artistic swimming, and high diving had been postponed twice.
China won the most medals, with 20 gold, 8 silver, and 12 bronze. Twelve of their gold medals were won in diving, three in artistic swimming, and five in swimming.
Australia came in second with 15 gold medals, 9 silver medals, and 6 bronze medals, while the United States came in third with 7 gold medals, 22 silver medals, and 15 bronze medals.
The 2024 World Aquatics Championships will be held in Doha, Qatar.
Source:IANS
