China's Tang sets new Asian record at short course swimming worlds

Tang Qianting of China waves to spectators before the women's 100m breaststroke semifinal at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, Hungary, Dec. 11, 2024. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Tang Qianting broke her own Asian record in the women's 100m breaststroke semifinals of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) here on Wednesday.

Tang, the 2024 Doha World Championships gold medalist, led the semifinal field with a time of 1:02.37, bettering the previous record of 1:02.53 she set at the Swimming World Cup in Shanghai in October.

Switzerland's Noe Ponti shone in the men's 50m butterfly with a new world record of 21.32 seconds, cutting 0.11 seconds off his own WR set in Tuesday's semifinals. Canada's Ilya Kharun took silver with a time of 21.67, setting a new American record. Nyls Korstanje of the Netherlands claimed the bronze medal, 0.01 second behind Kharun.

Paris Olympic champion Regan Smith of the United States triumphed in the women's 100m backstroke final in 54.55 seconds, a new championship record. Fellow American Katharine Berkoff secured second place, and Canada's Ingrid Wilm finished third.

The men's 100m backstroke event delivered a thrilling final, where Russia's 18-year-old Miron Lifintsev, competing as a neutral athlete, emerged victorious with a new world junior record of 48.76 seconds. Hungarian swimmer Hubert Kos came in a close second, just 0.03 seconds behind Lifintsev. Poland's Kacper Stokowski secured third place.

In the women's 50m butterfly final, Gretchen Walsh of the United States clinched gold with a time of 24.01 seconds, securing her first individual world title in the 25m pool. France's Beryl Gastaldello secured silver. Australia's Alexandria Perkins completed the podium, setting an Oceanian record in 24.68.

Australia's Olympic champion Lani Pallister claimed the women's 800m freestyle gold with a new championship record of 8:01.95, with Germany's Isabel Gose and Katie Grimes of the United States winning silver and bronze respectively.

In the mixed 4x50m medley relay, the Neutral Athlete Team, consisting of Lifintsev, Kirill Prigoda, Arina Surkova, and Daria Trofimova, claimed gold with 1:35.36, setting a new European record. Canada and the United States rounded out the podium.

After two competition days, the United States sits on top of the medal table with six gold, two silver and two bronze medals.