China's Tang, Qin clinch golds at short course swimming worlds

BUDAPEST - China dominated the breaststroke events at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) on Thursday, with Tang Qianting and Qin Haiyang both claiming victories.

In the women's 100m breaststroke final, Tang, the 2024 Doha World Championships gold medalist, finished in 1:02.38, just 0.02 seconds off the world record. Lilly King of the United States took the silver, 0.42 seconds behind Tang, while Estonia's Eneli Jefimova earned the bronze.

Qin secured the men's 100m breaststroke gold in 55.47 seconds, setting both an Asian record and a championship record. Kirill Prigoda of Russia and Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus, both competing as neutral athletes, took silver and bronze respectively.

As with the previous two days of competition, world records fell again on Day 3. In the women's 4x200m freestyle relay final, the United States claimed gold with a new world record of 7:30.13, while Hungary and Australia also reached the podium.

The women's 200m butterfly final featured a world record-breaking performance from Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh. After setting a world record in the women's 400m freestyle on Day 1, she won gold with another world record of 1:59.32. Regan Smith of the United States took silver, and Elizabeth Dekkers of Australia claimed bronze.

Earlier Thursday morning, the 18-year-old McIntosh set a new world junior record in the 200m butterfly heats with a time of 2:01.96.

In the women's 100m individual medley semifinals, Gretchen Walsh of the United States qualified for the final with a world record of 55.71 seconds. She had already set a championship record of 56.06 in the heats.

In the women's 100m freestyle final, Walsh took first place with a time of 50.31 seconds, establishing a new American record and a championship record. France's Beryl Gastaldello captured silver, while Kate Douglass of the United States claimed bronze.

Paris Olympic champion Jack Alexy of the United States won the men's 100m freestyle final in 45.38 seconds. Guilherme Santos of Brazil took silver, finishing 0.09 seconds behind, and Jordan Crooks of the Cayman Islands earned bronze, 0.10 seconds off the winning time.

In the men's 200m butterfly final, Ilya Kharun of Canada claimed gold in 1:48.24, setting a championship record. Italy's Alberto Razzetti took silver in 1:48.64, setting a European record, while Poland's Krzysztof Chmielewski secured bronze.

The men's 400m freestyle final saw Elijah Winnington of Australia live up to his name, winning gold in 3:35.89. Carson Foster and Kieran Smith of the United States shared the silver in 3:36.31.