The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: America’s Nic Fink claimed men’s 100m breaststroke gold as Britain’s world record holder Adam Peaty made his return to action with a bronze medal at the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 yesterday.
Kate Douglass retained her women’s 200m medley world title as USA clinched two gold and as many silver medals on second day of swimming events at Aspire Dome.
Fink clocked 58.57 secs for his maiden world title in the event, while Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy took the silver medal as Peaty never recovered from his slow start touching the wall in 59.10 – much slower than his world record of 56.88 he set in 2019.
“It’s definitely crazy getting the first Worlds gold in 100m breaststroke at the age of 30. The fact I was able to accomplish so much in my career and I’m still experiencing new things is being really fun right now,” said Fink.
Peaty, who took a break last year, is aiming to compete in Paris Olympics having won the 100 breaststroke titles in the last two Olympics and earned gold at the Worlds in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
“It’s great to be in the race with the best of the world. I’m a little bit disappointed with the time. I think I was a little bit too tense in the first 50m and I pushed a little bit too far. I’ve got to learn to get on a little bit easier, but it’s not going to come easy,” the 29-year-old Briton said.
Meanwhile, Douglass – the USA’s only individual gold medalist from Fukuoka Worlds in Doha – capped a fine day for the USA, clocking 2:07.05 for her second consecutive gold in what was the last final yesterday. Sydney Pickrem of Canada (2:08.56) and Yu Yiting of China (2:09.01) secured silver and bronze medals respectively.
Meanwhile, Angelina Kohler won first individual world title for Germany in 15 years as she emerged fastest in the women 100m butterfly clocking 56.28. USA’s Claire Curzan grabbed silver in 56.61 while Sweden’s Louise Hansson took bronze after finishing the race in 56.94.
“It will take some time until I realize what I have just achieved for German swimming. It means so much that my head just cannot take it, I am speechless. I have a huge support here. It is incredible,” said Kohler.
Also yesterday, Diogo Matos Ribeiro won first-ever gold medal at worlds for Portugal, sealing men’s 50m butterfly victory in 22.97 as he outpaced America’s Michael Andrew, who settled for a silver medal for his time of 23.07. Cameron McEvoy of Australia took bronze medal after touching in 23.08.
“Yesterday and today I couldn’t sleep after lunchtime thinking about being a World Champion. It was what I was expecting here because I was the top in the start list, but we know that being in a World Championships isn’t about doing your best in the heats or the semi-final, it’s about doing it in the final,” said Ribeiro, who took silver medal in the same event in Fukuoka last year.
“When I touched the wall and watched the time and I saw I was first, I got a feeling that I had never ever felt before.”