China wins mixed freestyle, Sjoestroem dominates 50m butterfly

Gold medalists Yu Yiting, Pan Zhanle, Wang Haoyu and Li Bingjie (L-R) of team China pose for photograph after the awarding ceremony of the mixed 4X100m freestyle relay final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

DOHA, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- China claimed the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay world title at the World Aquatics Championships on Saturday night.

The lineup, composed of Pan Zhanle, Wang Haoyu, Li Bingjie, and Yu Yiting, secured the victory with a time of 3 minutes and 21.18 seconds, breaking their own Asian record of 03:24.47 set in the morning preliminaries.

This marks China's seventh swimming gold medal in Doha. Australia took the silver, trailing by 0.6 seconds, and the United States finished third.

"This gold medal is mainly to motivate myself, and I will work harder in the future," said Pan.

In an earlier 50m breaststroke semifinal, Chinese swimmer Tang Qianting also broke her own Asian record with a time of 29.80 seconds, advancing to the final.

Sweden's Sarah Sjoestroem took her sixth straight world title in the women's 50m butterfly.

The 30-year-old easily won with a time of 24.63 seconds, beating the second finisher, Melanie Henique of France, by 0.81 seconds. Farida Osman of Egypt took the bronze.

The win would put Sjoestroem on par with the United States' Katie Ledecky's dominance in the women's 800m freestyle as the only six-time winner of an event at the World Championships.

In the men's 50m freestyle, Ukrainian Vladyslav Bukhov clinched his first world title with a time of 21.44 seconds. Cameron Mcevoy of Australia finished second, just 0.01 seconds behind, while Britain's Benjamin Proud secured the bronze.

American Claire Curzan won the women's 200m backstroke with a time of 2:5.77. Jaclyn Barclay of Australia and Anastasiya Shkurdai finished second and third respectively.

The 19-year-old Curzan became the third swimmer in history to win the 50m/100m/200m treble in any stroke at a single World Aquatics Championships behind China's Qin Haiyang and Australia's Kaylee McKeown.

Portugal's newest sporting star, Diogo Matos Ribeiro, claimed the men's 100m butterfly title with a time of 51.17 seconds. Just five days earlier, he also won the 50m butterfly.

Austrian Simon Bucher and Jakub Majerski of Poland finished second and third respectively.

In the women's 800m freestyle, the race turned into a duel between Italian Simona Quadarella and Isabel Gose of Germany in the final 200 meters. Quadarella finished first in 8:17.44, edging out the German by 0.09 seconds. Erika Fairweather of New Zealand secured the bronze.

Gold medalist team China (below), silver medalist team Australia and bronze medalist team USA pose for photograph during the awarding ceremony of the mixed 4X100m freestyle relay final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Yu Yiting (top) of team China relays with teammate Li Bingjie during the mixed 4X100m freestyle relay final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

Pan Zhanle (top L), Wang Haoyu (top R), Li Bingjie (C) and Yu Yiting of team China celebrate after the mixed 4X100m freestyle relay final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)

Pan Zhanle of team China competes during the mixed 4X100m freestyle relay final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

Tang Qianting of China competes during the women's 50m breaststroke semifinal of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

Tang Qianting of China competes during the women's 50m breaststroke semifinal of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden competes during the women's 50m butterfly final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden celebrates after the women's 50m butterfly final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

Gold medalist Claire Curzan (C) of the United States, silver medalist Jaclyn Barclay of Australia and bronze medalist Anastasiya Shkurdai pose for photograph after the awarding ceremony of the women's 200m backstroke final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Claire Curzan (R) of the United States and Jaclyn Barclay of Australia react after the women's 200m backstroke final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)

Gold medalist Diogo Matos Ribeiro (C) of Portugal, silver medalist Simon Bucher (L) of Austria and bronze medalist Jakub Majerski of Poland pose for photograph after the awarding ceremony of the men's 100m butterfly final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Diogo Matos Ribeiro of Portugal celebrates after the men's 100m butterfly final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

Gold medalist Vladyslav Bukhov of Ukraine, silver medalist Cameron McEvoy of Australia and bronze medalist Benjamin Proud of Britain pose for photograph during the awarding ceremony of the men's 50m freestyle final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Gold medalist Sarah Sjoestroem (C) of Sweden, silver medalist Melanie Henique (L) of France and bronze medalist Farida Osman of Egypt pose during the awarding ceremony for the women's 50m butterfly final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)

Sarah Sjoestroem (R) of Sweden greets with Melanie Henique of France after the women's 50m butterfly final of swimming event at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)