China claims two swimming titles, leads worlds gold tally with 17

Zhang Yufei of China after the award ceremony for the women's 100m butterfly at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on July 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang added two gold medals in swimming as China leads the medal table of the World Aquatics Championships with 17 golds.

FUKUOKA, Japan, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Yufei claimed the women's 100m butterfly title and Qin Haiyang registered a historic breaststroke victory here on Monday as China consolidated its lead on medal standings at the World Aquatics Championships.

17-year-old Yu Yiting added a bronze in the women's 200m individual medley (IM) to China's medal haul on the second day of swimming competition.

China is now atop the medal table with 17 golds, five silvers and six bronzes. 12 of the gold medals were won by their all-conquering diving team and three from artistic swimmers. Australia is second on 5-2-1, and Japan third on 4-1-4.

Qin Haiyang (bottom) of China in action during the men's 100m breaststroke final at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on July 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

Qin, 24, set a world leading time of 57.69 seconds to become the first Chinese men's breaststroker to win a world title.

Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi, Dutchman Arno Kamminga and American veteran Nic Fink shared the second place as the trio clocked an identical time of 58.72 seconds.

Only a few minutes later, Zhang, 200m butterfly gold winner at the Tokyo Olympics, earned China the second gold in swimming at the Fukuoka worlds in the women's 100m butterfly after clocking 56.12 seconds.

Canada's Margaret MacNeil finished second in 56.45 seconds, and defending champion Torri Huske of the United States was third in 56.61.

Yu Yiting of China in action during the women's 200m medley final at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on July 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

Yu Yiting followed U.S. duo Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh to touch home, securing her first medal at the worlds in 2:08.74.

Douglass took her first world title in 2:07.17, while defending champion Walsh finished second in 2:07.97.

China's Ye Shiwen, who rose to stardom by striking an individual medley golden double at the London Olympics, finished eighth in 2:14.27.

The other gold medal of the day went to Italy's Thomas Ceccon in the men's 50m butterfly.

Portugal's Diogo Matos Ribeiro took silver, and Frenchman Maxime Grousset settled for bronze.