Doha, Qatar, February 16, 2024 – The World Aquatics Championships in Doha saw a thrilling night of swimming competitions, with several record-breaking performances and new champions crowned.
The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, where China’s Dong Zhihao secured his first individual gold medal at the championships. Despite being in sixth place with 50 meters to go, Dong unleashed an incredible burst of energy, touching the wall first in a time of 2 minutes and 7.94 seconds. This victory exceeded Dong’s expectations, as he initially aimed for a top-three finish.
“This is my usual pace, and I’m quite comfortable with it,” said Dong, who is just 18 years old. “But winning the gold medal was beyond anything I could have hoped for.”
The women’s 100-meter freestyle saw Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands dominate the final 25 meters, touching the wall first in a time of 52.26 seconds. Siobhan Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong, China, finished second, securing another silver medal after her performance in Fukuoka 2023. Australia’s Shayna Jack rounded out the podium with the bronze.
Dutch Dominance in Breaststroke
The Netherlands continued its strong showing in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, with Tes Schouten securing a remarkable victory. Schouten surpassed her previous performance at the Fukuoka 2023 championships, touching the wall first in a time of 2 minutes and 19.81 seconds. This made her the Netherlands’ first female breaststroke world champion across any distance. American Kate Douglass and Sydney Pickrem of Canada took home the silver and bronze, respectively.
A New World Champion Emerges in Backstroke
The men’s 200-meter backstroke saw a close race for the top spot. Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez outpaced Roman Mityukov of Switzerland in the final moments, clocking in at one minute and 55.30 seconds and becoming a world champion for the first time in his career. Mityukov narrowly missed out on the gold, taking silver by a mere 0.1 seconds. Pieter Coetze of South Africa finished third, rounding out the podium.
The World Aquatics Championships in Doha have delivered a spectacular display of swimming prowess, with exciting races and new champions emerging. The event has highlighted the dedication and talent of athletes from around the world, promising a thrilling competition for the remainder of the championships.
