Tang Qianting Misses 100m Breaststroke WR By 0.01

Budapest 2024, Day 2 Semifinals: Tang Qianting Misses 100m Breaststroke WR By 0.01; Gretchen Walsh With Second-Fastest 100 Free All-Time

Tang Qianting of China was just 0.01 off the 100m breaststroke world record as she posted 1:02.37 in the semifinals of the short-course worlds in Budapest.

The Olympic silver medallist fell just shy of the 1:02.36 WR set by Ruta Meilutyte in 20113 and subsequently matched by Alia Atkinson of Jamaica at Doha 2014 and two years later in Paris.

Lilly King – who was bang on WR pace at halfway in the first semi – was second through in 1:03.23 followed by Evgeniia Chikunova – one of a large number of neutral athletes impacting outcomes in Budapest – with the Russian clocking 1:03.70, 0.01 ahead of British Olympic finalist Angharad Evans (1:03.71).

Yuliya Efimova is second reserve after finishing 10th in 1:04.38 with Meilutyte 13th in 1:04.75.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke

Kirill Prigoda headed the men’s 100m breaststroke in 56.02 ahead of Qin Haiyang (56.04) and world record-holder Ilya Shymanovich (56.21).

Joshua Yong of Australia set an Oceania record of 56.62 when finishing ninth and first reserve.

Women’s 100m Freestyle

Gretchen Walsh posted the second-fastest 100 free in history. The USA swimmer went 50.49 in the second semi to lower the championship record of 50.77 set by Emma McKeon at Melbourne 2022.

It was also an American record although still 0.24 off the WR held by Cate Campbell since October 2022.

Beryl Gastaldello of France (51.56) and Kate Douglass (51.67) were the next swiftest through in Budapest.

Men’s 100m Freestyle

Jordan Crooks appeared to be set for a tilt at the world record after posting 44.95 in prelims, 0.11 off Kyle Chalmers’ global standard of 44.84 dating from October 2021.

The Cayman Islands swimmer elevated himself to joint-third all-time with that performance and he returned to head the Budapest semis in 45.22.

Jack Alexy of the USA will be in lane five alongside Crooks after going 45.29 with Egor Kornev next in 45.52 while Maxime Grousset (45.59) and Alessandro Miressi (45.69) – who won silver and bronze respectively at Melbourne 2022 behind the absent Chalmers – also safely through.