Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships - Swimming - Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A, Fukuoka, Japan - July 24, 2023. China's Zhang Yufei celebrates winning the women's 100m butterfly final. - Reuters
FUKUOKA (Reuters): China won back-to-back gold medals on the second day of swimming action at the World Aquatics Championships as Qin Haiyang roared to victory in the men's 100m breaststroke while Zhang Yufei took the women's 100m butterfly title on Monday.
Qin set the second-fastest time in history behind Britain's world record holder Adam Peaty, finishing in 57.69 seconds with a three-way tie for the silver as Nicolo Martinenghi, Arno Kamminga and Nic Fink were all locked on 58.72.
Zhang then came up with another dominating display to emerge triumphant in her event in a time of 56.12 seconds, finishing ahead of Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Margaret Mac Neil of Canada and 2022 champion Torri Huske of the United States.
The absence of defending champion Caeleb Dressel from the men's 50m butterfly race could later open the door for Maxime Grousset of France, who clocked 22.72 seconds in Sunday's semi-finals to take 0.02 seconds off his own national record.
Seven-times Olympic gold medallist Dressel, who also claimed gold in the 2019 Gwangju world championships, failed to qualify for the Fukuoka meet after disappointing displays at the U.S. national championships.
Grousset can join Leon Marchand, who opened France's account on the first day of swimming events by shattering American great Michael Phelps' 15-year 400 metres individual medley record en route to the gold.
Alex Walsh will look to defend her 200m individual medley title later in the evening and could face stiff competition from China's Yu Yiting, who was only 0.77 seconds off the American's leading time in the semi-finals.
Australia's triple Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown was one of three competitors disqualified from the semi-finals after the 22-year-old was adjudged to have committed a violation as she switched from backstroke to breaststroke.
Britain's Katie Shanahan and Italy's Sara Franceschi also missed out on the final. - Reuters
