FUKUOKA: China’s Qin Haiyang shattered the world record in the men’s 200 metres breaststroke event at the World Aquatics Championships on Friday, charging to the gold medal in a time of two minutes, 05.48 seconds to complete a sweep over three distances.

Qin made a blistering start in the final and did not step off the gas pedal to break the previous mark of 2:05.95 set by reigning Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook during the 2022 Australian championships in Adelaide.

The Zhuzhou-born 24-year-old was 0.92 seconds faster than silver medallist Stubblety-Cook on the night, with Matt Fallon of the United States taking bronze finishing more than two seconds behind the champion.

Victory was Qin’s third at the worlds this year, following his triumphs in the 50m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke, and makes him one to watch ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics.

Asked about his feat of shaving nearly half a second off Stubblety-Cook’s mark, Qin said: “It’s not my dream. I dream of the 100m world record.”

Earlier, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan stormed to victory in the women’s 100m freestyle, capturing gold in 52.16 seconds to defend her title and secure a sprint double.

Australia had dominated the event with three titles in the previous five championships thanks to victories by O’Callaghan at Budapest in 2022, Bronte Campbell at Kazan in 2015 and Cate Campbell at Barcelona in 2013.

The 19-year-old O’Callaghan ensured that fine run continued by finishing strongly after a sluggish start to edge out Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, who grabbed silver in 52.49 seconds.

O’Callaghan became the first woman to win the 100m and 200m freestyle titles at the same worlds.

“I came into this week wanting to have fun, enjoy it and learn. To have achieved so much is an incredible feeling,” said an emotional O’Callaghan, who overcame a knee problem to set a world record en route to the 200m title on Wednesday.

Friday’s triumph was O’Callaghan’s fourth gold of the meet, following wins as part of Australia’s 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x200m freestyle relay teams — also in record times.

Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands set the 100m pace in the semi-finals but had to be content with bronze after coming home 0.55 seconds behind the winner. Australia’s Olympic champion Emma McKeon was fifth with 52.83.

In the women’s 200m breaststroke, South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker set the benchmark with the quickest semi-final time and the 26-year-old cruised to her first gold at this year’s meet after a silver over 100m earlier in the week.

The Olympic champion touched the wall in 2:20.80 with Kate Douglass of the US second and Tes Schouten of the Netherlands rounding off the podium.

American Lilly King, the 2022 champion, was fourth.Hungary’s Hubert Kos then dethroned American Ryan Murphy to win the men’s 200m backstroke crown in 1:54.14. Murphy had led through the first half of the contest but ran out of steam to finish 0.69 seconds behind for silver.

Swiss Roman Mityukov was over a second slower than Kos to take bronze.

Britain struck gold to end the day’s action as their men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team of Duncan Scott, Matthew Richards, James Guy and Tom Dean finished in 6:59.08 to pip the US to the title. Australia were third more than three seconds away.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2023