In a stunning display of speed and precision, Noe Ponti of Switzerland clinched the gold medal in the men's 50-meter butterfly at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25-meter) held in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday. Ponti not only secured the top spot but also broke the existing world record with a remarkable time of 21.32 seconds.
Originally, Ponti set the world record during the semifinals with a time of 21.43 seconds. Demonstrating his exceptional prowess, he improved this record by an additional 0.09 seconds in the final race, setting a new standard in the event.
Competing fiercely against him, Ilya Kharun of Canada earned the silver medal with a time of 21.67 seconds, while Nyls Korstanje from the Netherlands took bronze, finishing just a tenth of a second behind with 21.68 seconds.
The championships witnessed multiple athletes breaking the championship records (CR) across various events. Among them, Regan Smith of the United States dominated the women's 100-meter backstroke final, clocking in at 54.55 seconds, surpassing the previous CR of 54.93 seconds set by her compatriot Katharine Berkoff. Additionally, Lani Pallister of Australia showcased her dominance in the women's 800-meter freestyle, finishing in 8:01.95 and setting a new CR.
In the semifinals of the women's 100-meter freestyle, Gretchen Walsh of the United States broke the CR with a time of 50.49 seconds, significantly outperforming her competitors. Meanwhile, Tang Qianting of China made a remarkable push in the women's 100-meter breaststroke by breaking the Asian record with a time of 1:02.37, just shy of the world record held by Alia Atkinson of Jamaica.
On the men's side, Qin Haiyang of China advanced to the final in the 100-meter breaststroke after securing the second-best time in the semifinals with 56.04 seconds, trailing only slightly behind Kirill Prigoda of Russia.
The World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Budapest has undoubtedly been a stage for outstanding athletic performances, setting new benchmarks and inspiring swimmers worldwide.
Reference(s):
Noe Ponti shatters men's 50m butterfly at World Championships (25m)
cgtn.com
