Swimming

2024 World Championships: Day 8 Finals Live Recap

February 18, 2024

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 11th – February 18th, 2024
Doha, Qatar
LCM (50m)
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Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
Day 6 Prelims Recap | Day 6 Finals Recap
Day 7 Prelims Recap | Day 7 Finals Recap

We’ve made it, folks — we’re down to the last session of the 2024 Doha World Championships. There are seven event finals this session, including the men’s and women’s 4×100 medley relays to cap off the meet.

Day 8 Order of Events:

Men’s 50 backstroke — final
Women’s 50 breaststroke — final
Men’s 1500 freestyle — final
Men’s 400 IM — final
Women’s 400 IM — final
Men’s 4×100 medley relay — final
Women’s 4×100 medley relay — final

Australia’s Isaac Cooper set an Oceanic record of 24.12 to lead the semifinals of the men’s 50 backstroke. He’s sitting ahead of defending champion Hunter Armstrong. Throughout the meet, backstrokers have had trouble swimming straight–even Cooper hit the lane rope during his semifinal. There’s a ton of talent in this heat beyond the top two including Ksawery Masiuk, Pieter Coetze, and Hugo Gonzalez, but this race may end up coming down to who can avoid the lane ropes.

World record holder Ruta Meilutyte leads the field in the women’s 50 breaststroke final by a wide margin. She swam 29.40 in the semifinals, putting her well ahead of 100 breaststroke champion Tang Qianting, who swam an Asian record of 29.80 to qualify. Just behind her is Bendetta Pilato, who was also sub-30 in semis with a 29.91.

800 freestyle champion Daniel Wiffen qualified for the men’s 1500 free final in a quiet 6th place, doing what he needed to make the top 8. After missing the 800 free final along with both the 800/1500 free final in Fukuoka, Florian Wellbrock secured lane 4 for this final. He leads the way with a prelims time of 14:48.43.

In the men’s 400 IM prelims, David Johnston swam a personal best 4:12.51 that held up as the fastest time of the morning. His teammate Carson Foster, the two-time defending champion–qualified safely in 4th (4:13.24). 200 IM finalists Daiya Seto (3rd, 4:13.06), Lewis Clareburt (5th, 4:13.24), and Alberto Razzetti (8th, 4:15.84) also made this 400 IM final.

In the women’s race, Canada’s Tess Cieplucha made her move on the back half of her prelims swim, passing Serbia’s Anja Crevar and posting 4:40.80 for the fastest qualifying time. After Crevar’s 4:41.11, the 3rd through 6th place qualifiers are separated by just over a half-second, with Freya Colbert sitting 3rd in 4:42.33.