2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
After crushing the 200m breaststroke world report on the 2024 World Cup circuit, American Kate Douglass leads a robust contingent of breaststrokers that will likely be competing on the 2024 World Championships in Budapest in just some weeks. Although Douglass is the favourite to win the 200 breast, there are many different names that would make an affect throughout all three breaststroke occasions.
Girls’s 50 Breaststroke Preview
China’s Tang Qianting noticed a dominant efficiency on this occasion throughout the World Cup, sweeping this occasion throughout all three stops of the collection. As well as, she broke the Asian Report 3 completely different instances this season en path to turning into the Third-fastest performer of all time along with her 28.76 from the ultimate cease of the collection in Shanghai. At that cease, she gained the occasion by virtually a second, making herself the clear-cut favourite to win the World Championship title. If she does so, Qianting will stroll away along with her first SC World Championship title.
Tang Qianting through Fabio Cetti
Together with her dominance, Qianting’s path appears to be like comparatively clear. Nevertheless, her greatest impediment will seemingly be World Report holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. After experiencing a profession resurgence in 2022, Meilutyte set a brand new World Report on this occasion with a blistering 28.37. In 2023, she posted a World Report of 29.16 within the lengthy course pool as nicely, displaying that she might need extra left within the tank. Since ending eleventh within the 100 breaststroke on the Paris Olympics, Meilutyte has not competed in any SCM meets, leaving her type barely questionable. Nevertheless, it ought to be clear if she’ll be in “challenger” type as quickly as she jumps into the pool at Worlds.
Italian Benedetta Pilato also needs to play a significant function right here. Pilato contested this occasion a number of instances on the World Cup circuit, however couldn’t finest Qianting. Nevertheless, she has a historical past of success on this occasion, having held the World Report within the lengthy course pool earlier than Meilutyte and she or he holds the second quickest time within the qualifying discipline along with her 28.86 from the 2023 European Championships.
Lilly King (photograph: Jack Spitser)
Younger star Eneli Jefimova of Estonia, together with American Lilly King may additionally make a significant push for the rostrum. King has a confirmed medal report and loads of expertise behind her, having been competing on the worldwide degree for practically a decade. The 2016 Olympic Champion is the present American Report holder within the occasion along with her 28.77 from the 2020 ISL season. Although she hasn’t competed within the brief course a lot because the finish of the ISL, King should not have any downside adjusting again and throwing down some nice performances. On the flip facet, Jefimova has been a quickly rising drive on the European swim stage, and will likely be on the lookout for a world breakout at Worlds. With a finest time of 29.10, she will likely be proper within the thick of issues. Particularly at solely 17-years-old, look ahead to her to probably produce an enormous efficiency.
The opposite US entrant within the race is 2024 Olympian Emma Weber. The UVA swimmer is entered within the race with a 31.01 LCM qualifying time. Nevertheless, count on her to maneuver up. Different swimmers who may transfer up the psych sheet considerably embody China’s Yu Jingyao, Sweden’s Sophie Hansson, and South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk. Regardless of not racing SCM typically, van Niekerk gained the silver medal on this occasion again in 2022. She hasn’t raced because the 2024 South African Championships after lacking the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games attributable to an error through which her qualifying instances weren’t counted. On condition that she missed out on Paris, van Niekerk will seemingly be fired as much as carry out nicely right here.
Notably, Russian star Yuliya Efimova can also be entered within the race as a impartial competitor. Efimova hasn’t been eligible to compete in any World Aquatics Meets because the 2021 World Cup as a result of group’s ban on Russian athletes. Nevertheless, attributable to latest updates of World Aquatics’ coverage relating to athlete eligibility whereas their nation is below a “interval of battle”, Efimova is now eligible to compete below impartial standing.
SwimSwam’s Picks – High 4
Girls’s 100 Breaststroke Preview
- World Report: 1:02.36 – Alia Atkinson, JAM (2014/2016)/Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
- Championship Report: 1:02.36 – Alia Atkinson, JAM (2014)
- 2022 SC World Champion: 1:02.67 – Lilly King, USA
- Returning 2022 Brief Course Worlds Finalists: Lilly King, Tang Qianting, Lara van Niekerk, Ruta Meilutyte
- 2024 Olympic Finalists within the Subject: Tang Qianting, Benedetta Pilato, Lilly King, Eneli Jefimova, Angharad Evans, Alina Zmushka
Lots of the similar gamers from the 50 breaststroke will cross-over into the 100 breaststroke, with just a few notable additions.
As with the 50 breaststroke, Tang Qianting stays the favourite after sweeping the occasion on the World Cup collection. She holds the highest entry time with a 1:02.53, the quickest time on the psych sheets by over a half second and the 4th quickest time in historical past. Nevertheless, of the three swimmers that stand forward of Qianting on the all-time rankings, two are slated to compete right here, making for an thrilling matchup.
American Lilly King holds the Third quickest efficiency of all time because of her 1:02.50 from the 2020 ISL season. For the reason that ISL ended its run, King hasn’t entered the SCM pool fairly often. In reality, she’s presently seeded means down the psych sheets with an entry time of 1:05.43 from the lengthy course pool. Nevertheless, in her final SCM 100 breaststroke on the 2022 World Championships, King posted a time of 1:02.67 to win the title, making her a critical risk to Qianting’s hopes of operating away with the championship.
Present co-World Report holder Ruta Meilutyte can also be entered and ought to be a risk if she’s in prime type. Although she’s shifted her focus in the direction of the 50m breaststroke within the lengthy course pool extra just lately, Meilutyte nonetheless poses a critical risk within the 100m breaststroke, particularly in brief course. On the 2022 version of the championships, she was seeded second going into the ultimate with a 1:03.40 earlier than dealing with a disqualification within the ultimate for a double dolphin kick off of the beginning. Previous to her disqualification, Meilutyte had posted a time of 1:02.91, ending second to King. With that point, she ought to undoubtedly be within the combine for a medal right here.
Ruta Meilutyte (photograph: Jack Spitser)
Eneli Jefimova and Benedetta Pilato are additionally amongst the highest of the sector because the 2nd and Third seeds. In her breakout season on the senior degree, Jefimova has made a big affect, turning into one among the highest European breaststrokers because of her performances on the 2024 European Championships and 2024 Olympic Video games. At solely 17-years-old, she holds a finest time of 1:03.21, which she has already approached a number of instances this season at varied competitions, that means that she could possibly be in for a breakout. The 19-year-old Pilato has been established on the worldwide stage for a number of years now, successful her first World Championships medal at 14-years-old. Regardless of her robust profession, Pilato has by no means gained a SC Worlds title, one thing that she’s seeking to change this 12 months. After ending 2nd to Qianting on the World Cup on this occasion on a number of events, she’s seemingly motivated to get her hand to the wall first. South African report holder Lara van Niekerk will definitely be within the dialog as nicely, holding a finest time of 1:03.93. Identified extra for her velocity within the 50, she holds a robust 100 as nicely.
When it comes to new additions to the race as in comparison with the 50 breaststroke, Evgeniia Chikunova is among the greatest names to throw into the ring. The Russian 200 breaststroke specialist has not contested many worldwide races in recent times as a result of ban of Russian athletes from World Aquatics occasions. Nevertheless, like her teammate Yuliya Efimova, Chikunova is able to return to the worldwide stage below a impartial standing. Lower than two weeks in the past, Chikunova posted a finest time of 1:04.07 within the 100 breaststroke, and will see massive enhancements on that point with a taper below her belt.
SwimSwam’s Picks – High 4
Girls’s 200 Breaststroke Preview
Kate Douglass (photograph: Jack Spitser)
When speaking about dominance within the sport of swimming, one ought to look to American Kate Douglass as a primary instance. On the ultimate cease of the 2024 World Cup in Singapore, Douglass threw down an astonishing time of 2:12.72 to shatter the World Report within the 200 breaststroke by virtually 1.5 seconds. Impressively, the report she shattered was her personal mark of two:14.16, set solely every week earlier than in Incheon. Previous to that, the mark stood for over a decade at a time of two:14.57, set by fellow American Rebecca Soni again in 2009. Together with her time, Douglass now stands practically 2 seconds forward of anybody else in historical past, one of many widest margins within the sport of swimming. Barring an distinctive swim by one other athlete or a significant error on Douglass’ half, this race ought to be hers for the taking, with a reasonably snug margin.
Her greatest risk will seemingly be Evgeniia Chikunova, the one different swimmer to have damaged the two:15-barrier in over a decade. Again in 2022, Chikunova threw down a blistering 2:14.70 to just about take down Soni’s report, falling only a tenth of a second brief. A number of months after that, she went on to take down Tatjana Schoenmaker’s World Report mark within the lengthy course version of the race on the 2023 Russian Championships with a 2:17.55. Although she hasn’t been capable of race a lot since then, Chikunova has been constant in her performances. If Douglass isn’t on prime type, she’ll actually be proper there to take the crown.
Alex Walsh (photograph: Jack Spitser)
Notably, 2022 silver medalist Lilly King is not going to be becoming a member of her teammate Douglass on this occasion. As an alternative, Alex Walsh will contest this race because the 2nd American entrant. Walsh hasn’t competed because the 2024 Olympic Video games, present process a meniscus process in September. Nevertheless, she’s a fierce competitor who has made an enormous development within the LCM model of this occasion over the previous 12 months. Although she presently doesn’t have a time registered within the SCM pool, she’s the reigning NCAA Champion within the occasion, dropping a time of two:02.07, and she or he holds a finest time of two:22.38 within the lengthy course pool.
Together with Walsh, Tara Kinder of Australia and impartial athlete Alina Zmushka also needs to make a push for the rostrum, getting into the meet because the Third and 4th seeds. Nevertheless, behind Douglass, this discipline appears to be broad open, that means there could possibly be some main surprises.
SwimSwam’s Picks – High 4
