2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 11th – February 18th
- Doha, Qatar
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Official Entries
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
- Day 1 Finals Recap
The 2024 Doha World Championships have begun, and World Aquatics has crowned the first world champions. In a surprise victory, South Korean Kim Woomin claimed the first medal up for grabs, fending off Australian Winnington’s attack in the final 50 meters. The second individual gold went to New Zealander Fairweather, the only one in the water to swim under 4 minutes. The show at the Aspire Dome concluded with the 4×100 freestyle relays. Following are the interviews with the athletes who starred in this first night of competition.
KIM WOOMIN (KOR)
Gold medallist in the 400 freestyle men in a time of 3:42.71
“This is my first ever international medal, and also the first [for anyone] of this Championships and this is an honor. I didn’t expect to win, I’ve one second to my personal best, for sure my recent overseas training camp helped. I was just looking for the best race possible. I’m proud to be among these world-class athletes.”
ELIJAH WINNINGTON (AUS)
Silver medallist in the 400 freestyle men in a time of 3:42.86
“The last thing my coach told me was to just have a race. I’m not in the best physical condition, I’m healthy. But in six months time, that’s what we’re really preparing for. He (Kim Woomin) deserves the win and is just going ahead. I came off the back of a very disappointing last year, and to turn it around this much in about six months’ time, I’m really happy.
In all honesty, I didn’t really have a race plan. I was just going out there to have a race. I probably wanted to go out a little bit faster. I saw him out there, but, I just wasn’t really sure. And maybe this is something I can work on, to just back myself and go earlier. But, I did what I did, and I’m still happy with the result.”
ANGELINA KOHLER (GER)
Top seed in the 100 fly women in a time of 56.11
“I love racing; I’m having so much fun, and I love battling everybody, all these girls are amazing. yeah, I don’t see it. But you talk about Taylor Swift, what you said. I said, yeah, she’s. I think I’m in a time of my life and want to live in the moment, and the atmosphere here is crazy.
Before the race, I’m always listening to Tylor Swift; I love every album. My favorite song is Cruel Summer; it gives me so much, and it motivates me and pushes me to the limits.”
MICHAEL ANDREW (USA)
Top seed in the 50 fly men in a time of 22.9
“I take all these 50s a stroke pretty seriously here because there’s 20 grand on the line. I think if anybody was swimming for $20,000, they take it pretty seriously. So I take every race as mentally focused as possible. It’s kind of cool to be the fastest man in history in all four 50s. But, of course, 50 free is the big focus towards Paris, and this is all training around.”
Speaking about the Superbowl:
“I’m so torn because I love Brock Purdy but I’m also from Kansas, so I have to route the Chiefs. So it’s either it could go either way, but, if any of my friends and family are asking me, I’m rooting for the Chiefs.”
ERIKA FAIRWEATHER (NZL)
Gold medallist in the 400 free women in a time of 3:59.44
“We come in with, nothing to lose and everything to gain. So it was awesome to be able to pull it off tonight. World Champs is all about how you show up. And I’m really proud of how I showed up tonight. I think I proved that last year. You just have to be as good as you are on the day. It doesn’t matter how good you are overall, it’s whoever wins the race or whoever gets the handful first.
And now New Zealand has a new world champion. We feel pretty good. So it’s great that people are experiencing New Zealand national anthem for once. ”
“It’s kind of cool to be the fastest man in history in all four 50s.” Maybe what M.andrew meant to say was, “It WOULD be kind of cool…” But since it appears he did not: First, you haven’t won any, let alone all, of the 50s in this meet yet. Second, to be the “fastest man in all four 50s in history” you need to hold the WR in each event, which you also don’t. Please please just keep your mouth shut and swim. Save the trash talking until after the meet.
Daddy chill
Except the Olympics don’t take the 50’s seriously and there’s way more $ on the line at the big show.
MA chasing $$$? That seems like going against his religion?
It’s literally his livelihood and his means of putting food on the table
Huh? He’s never been shy about money. He turned pro at 14 after all.
Yeah like he had any say in that decision
Joel Osteen would like to have a word.
Tell that to Roman Catholic church.
In California we have the highest cost of living and the highest tax rates. If he still lived back in Kansas he might be rolling by now.
Route? Or root?
this is a perfect meet for Michael Andrew. Let him show off his one weird trick, and cash in on it!
I’ll save my 🙄 and 🤦 for later this summer and this week say “GO MICHAEL!”
money is all he has left to earn
You mean the money….that goes along with….World Championships?
What a weird take.
Cmon Braden. You know if MA had real coaching the last eight years he’d be the next Phelps. Instead we have a 50 fest on off years. Pretty mid compared to what coulda been IMO.
Aren’t you the same person that complained that “downvotes are toxic” a few weeks back, and now all I’ve seen from you today is trashing swimmers.
Pick a team, friend.
He’s a PROFESSIONAL swimmer. Earning money by swimming is what allows him to keep swimming.
he’s making money, cool. it’s what he has left. good for him.
Stoked
Trex arms
Below the surface is all that really matters. MA has awesome power. The man is a freight train.