2022 World Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
• Budapest, Hungary
• Duna Arena
• LCM (50-meter format)
• Full Aquatics Schedule
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Good morning, everyone! Day 3 prelims of the 2022 World Championships will feature heats of the men’s 50 breast, women’s 200 free, men’s 200 fly, and men’s 800 free, marking the shortest prelims session yet.

The men’s 50 breast prelims come right off the 100 breast, of which the final was held last night, seeing Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi win Gold. Martinenghi enters as the top seed in the 50 breast as well, so we’ll see if he’s able to pull out a win there as well.

In the women’s 200 free, Mollie O’Callaghan will also be making her individual debut, as well as Penny Oleksiak. Another swimmer to watch out for in the women’s 200 free is Brazil’s Stephanie Balduccini, who had an excellent swim on Brazil’s 4×100 free relay on day 1.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• World Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Championships Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• 2019 World Champion: Adam Peaty (GBR) – 26.06

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 26.68
2. Michael Andrew (USA) – 26.71
3. Joao Gomes (BRA) – 26.75
4. Nic Fink (USA) – 26.85
5. Lucas Matzerath (GER) – 27.01
6. Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT) – 27.12
7. Yan Zibei (CHN) – 27.15
8. Simone Cerasuolo (ITA) – 27.17
9. Felipe Silva (BRA) – 27.22
10. Kristian Pitshugin (ISR) – 27.45
11. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 27.48
12. Dongyeol Choi (KOR) – 27.55
13. Huseyin Sakci (TUR) – 27.56
14. Andrius Sidlauskas (LTU) – 27.62
15. Mikel Schreuders (ARU)/Peter Stevens (SLO) – 27.64
16. 16-

The men’s 50 breast was stalled due to disqualifications. After Annie Lazor’s DQ yesterday in semis of the women’s 100 breast, we have to assume these disqualifications and reviews were due to the presence of a “non-simultaneous” kick.

American Nic Fink used a fast start to take the first of the circle seeded heats with a 26.85. He was a little long on the touch at the end, but was able to get his hands on the wall ahead of Lucas Matzerath of Germany.

Michael Andrew would explode in the next heat, swimming a 26.71 after a blazing first 25 meters. There were two disqualifications in the at heat – James Dergousoff of Canada and Julio Horrego of Honduras.

100 breast champion Nicolo Martinenghi saved the best for last, taking the final heat in a speedy prelims time of 26.68. Brazil’s Joao Gomes was also quick in that final heat, swimming a 26.75.

In the early heats, Mikel Schreuders posted a new Aruban Record of 27.64, advancing to finals. The previous record was held by Schreuders at 28.18 from December of 2021.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World Record: 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini, 2009
• Championships Record: 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini, 2009
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Ariarne Titmus (AUS) – 1:53.50
• 2019 World Champion: Federica Pellegrini (ITA) – 1:54.22

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Junxuan Yang (CHN) – 1:56.58
2. Madi Wilson (AUS) – 1:56.85
3. Leah Smith (USA) – 1:57.22/Penny Oleksiak (CAN) – 1:57.22
4. –
5. Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) – 1:57.28
6. Freya Anderson (GBR) – 1:57.53
7. Janja Segel (SLO) – 1:57.71
8. Stephanie Balduccini (BRA) – 1:57.81
9. Isabel Gose (GER) – 1:57.94
10. Charlotte Bonnet (FRA) – 1:58.14
11. Erika Fairweather (NZL) – 1:58.26
12. Muhan Tang (CHN) – 1:58.28
13. Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 1:58.33
14. Taylor Ruck (CAN) – 1:58.41
15. Claire Weinstein (USA) – 1:58.76
16. Katja Fain (SLO) – 1:58.84

Holy cow did heat 3 give us a great race. Junxuan Yang (China) led from start to finish, but Madi Wilson (Australia) and Leah Smith (USA) put pressure on her at various points. Smith pushed the 2nd and 3rd 50s, flipping at the 150m mark just 0.15 seconds behind Yang. Wilson made a great push on the final lap, and looked like she was going to overtake Yang for a second.

Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) looked very comfortable as she took heat 4 with a late push on the final 50. Slovenia’s Janja Segel led the race for the first 145 meters, but was overtaken at the final turn. Brazil’s Stephanie Balduccini made a push on the 2nd 100, pulling even with Segel, and touching just 0.10 seconds behind her.

With no Siobhan Haughey in the mix at these Championships, Penny Oleksiak was brilliant in the final heat, swimming a 1:57.22. Taylor Ruck, the other Canadian in the race, was excellent on the first 50, but seemed to either shut it down through the middle of the race. Nonetheless, she safely made it through to semifinals. Great Britain’s Freya Anderson made her push on the final 100, pulling up to Oleksiak.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• World Record: 1:50.73, Kristof Milak (HUN), 2019
• Championships Record: 1:50.73, Kristof Milak (HUN), 2019
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:51.25
• 2019 World Champion: Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:50.73

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:54.10
2. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 1:54.75
3. Tomoru Honda (JPN) – 1:54.94
4. Trenton Julian (USA) – 1:55.04
5. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 1:55.71
6. Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) – 1:55.73
7. Luca Urlando (USA) – 1:55.94
8. Tamas Kenderesi (HUN) – 1:56.09
9. Kregor Zirk (EST) – 1:56.13
10. Leonardo de Deus (BRA) – 1:56.35
11. Giacomo Carini (ITA)/Leon Marchand (FRA) – 1:56.38
12. –
13. Niu Guangsheng (CHN) – 1:56.48
14. James Guy (GBR) – 1:56.63
15. Takumi Terada (JPN) – 1:56.70
16. Kuan-Hung Wang (TPE) – 1:56.87

In heat 3, Italy’s Alberto Razzetti led with a 1:55.71, holding off charging swimmers from everywhere on the final 50. American Luca Urlando was the flying on the last 50, narrowly getting beat out at the finish.

In heat 4, Noe Ponti took the race out fast, and held off charging swimmers on the final 50, just as Razzetti did in the previous heat. Ponti was excellent this morning, clocking a 1:54.75. Japan’s Tomoru Honda put together an awesome 3rd 50, but just quite didn’t have enough on the final 50 to completely overtake Ponti.

Trenton Julian was giving Kristof Milak a race through the first 175 meters, then Milak found another gear and absolutely tore past Julian over the final 25 meters. If you didn’t see it, you should go back and watch it – Milak’s closing speed was something else. Regardless the times for both swimmers were great, with Milak clocking a field-leading 1:54.10 and Julian 1:55.04.

400 IM champion Leon Marchand was 4th in the final heat, safely qualifying for semis.

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang (CHN), 2009
• Championships Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang (CHN), 2009
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Bobby Finke (USA) – 7:41.87
• 2019 World Champion: Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA)- 7:39.27

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) – 7:44.75
2. Florian Wellbrock (GER) – 7:44.80
3. Gabriele Detti (ITA) – 7:46.08
4. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 7:46.24
5. Daniel Wiffen (IRL) – 7:46.32
6. Bobby Finke (USA) – 7:46.36
7. Guilherme Costa (BRA) – 7:46.90
8. Damien Joly (FRA) – 7:47.46

Heat 3 gave us a brilliant race between Mykhail0 Romanchuk, Florian Wellbrock, and Gabriele Detti. A 2x World Champion in the event, Detti took the race out fast, leading for the first 250 meters. Wellbrock would briefly overtake the lead, then Romanchuk would take over, and lead through the finish. All 3 being seasoned veterans in the event, and 3 of the best in history, they all had their plan for getting into the finish and grabbing a middle lane for finals. Wellbrock closed over the final 150 meters, pulling even with Romanchuk on the last lap.

Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen crept into the picture towards the end of the race in heat 3, also closing fast to absolutely shatter his own Irish Record. Wiffen’s previous mark stood at 7:50.74, which he just swam in April of this year at the Stockholm Open.

Another fantastic race developed in heat 4, this one between Olympic Champion Bobby Finke, Gregorio Paltrinieri, Guilherme Costa, and Damien Joly. Paltrinieri set the pace early, as he is want to do, but Finke and Costa kept pressing him throughout the middle of the race. Historically, Paltrinieri hasn’t had the greatest closing speed, but he was able to hold back Bobby Finke this morning, although Finke’s closing speed was well off what he displayed in Tokyo last summer.

The top swimmer in the world this year, Germany’s Lucas Martens simply never got it going in this race, finishing 15th in 7:55.21. 400 free champion Elijah Winnington of Australia DNS (did not swim) this morning.

Woomin Kim of South Korea was incredible in heat 2, swimming a personal best of 7:53.27, 4 seconds faster than his previous best. That swim came after Kim swam a personal best in prelims of the 400 free on day 1. The swim wasn’t quite enough to earn a spot in finals, however, it was a fantastic performance nonetheless.