World University Games, Day One: Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei Carrying Over World Champs Success
The World University Games in Chengdu, China kicked off with its first session of finals on Tuesday night. The host country showcased two of its recently crowned world champions, Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang, who competed in the semifinals. Additionally, there were several other finals contested at the competition. Let’s take a closer look at what transpired on Night One.
Men’s 400 Freestyle (Final)
In the final of the men’s 400 freestyle, Italian swimmer Matteo Lamberti staged a comeback in the last 50 meters to overtake Brazil’s Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes and secure the gold medal with a time of 3:48.65. Lamberti had led for a significant part of the race but fell slightly behind Oliveira de Moraes in the last lap. However, he found an extra burst of speed to clinch the victory, with Oliveira de Moraes settling for silver in 3:49.10. Japan’s Ikki Imoto took home the bronze in 3:49.66.
Women’s 50 Butterfly (Semifinals)
China’s Zhang Yufei, who recently set the second-fastest time in history for the event at the World Championships, dominated the semifinals of the women’s 50 butterfly. She recorded a World University Games record of 25.29, just shy of her time of 25.05 in Fukuoka, where she won the silver medal behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom. South Africa’s Erin Gallagher advanced as the second seed with a time of 25.71.
Men’s 100 Backstroke (Semifinals)
Simone Stefani of Italy delivered the only sub-54 performance of the session in the men’s 100 backstroke semifinals, clocking a time of 53.87 to secure the top seed for the final. Poland’s Kacper Stokowski will pose a challenge in the final after finishing with a time of 54.13, ahead of Italy’s Michele Lamberti in 54.24. American swimmer Keaton Jones sits in fourth place with a time of 54.36.
Women’s 400 Individual Medley (Final)
Japan’s Ichika Kaijimoto showcased her freestyle prowess in the women’s 400 individual medley final, pulling away from the competition to claim the gold medal. She overtook the American duo of Megan Van Berkom and Paige MacEachern on the closing leg and touched the wall in a time of 4:41.65. Van Berkom finished in second place with a time of 4:42.47, while MacEachern secured the bronze with a time of 4:45.81.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke (Semifinals)
World champion Qin Haiyang continued his impressive form by setting a new World University Games record in the men’s 100 breaststroke semifinals with a time of 58.42. This mark is just under a second slower than his gold-winning time of 57.69 at the World Championships in Fukuoka. Qin has established himself as the premier breaststroker in the world, having swept the breast events at Worlds, including a world record in the 200 distance. Lithuania’s Andrius Sidlauskas finished second in the semifinals with a time of 1:00.08.
For detailed results of each event, you can visit the official website of the World University Games.
