World Aquatics Championships: U.S. win 3 gold medals as China tops final medal table

Fukuoka (Japan), July 30 (IANS) The United States wrapped up the World Aquatics Championships with their most successful day, clinching three of the six titles available. However, China topped the final standings with a total of 20 gold medals.

The U.S. swim team, victors of 14 gold medals at last year's Budapest World Championships, took home seven this time, supplementing their tally with 20 silver medals and 11 bronze.

Leading the U.S. charge was world record holder Hunter Armstrong, who spearheaded a 1-2 finish in the men's 50m backstroke with a time of 24.05 seconds. Defending champion Justin Ress clinched silver in 24.24 seconds.

China's Xu Jiayu, a two-time 100m backstroke world champion, secured the bronze with a time of 24.50.

The U.S. added two more gold medals to their haul in the men's and women's 4x100m medley relays.

China, boosted by four-gold medal winner Qin Haiyang, bagged silver in the men's relay but narrowly missed a podium place in the women's competition.

"I was very excited to race in the relay," said Qin, the first swimmer to sweep all three breaststroke events. "Everybody is close to their physical limits on the last day's competition. It is amazing to get the silver medal."

Qin, who helped China clinch the mixed 100m medley relay title and set a world record in the 200m race, lost out to France's Leon Marchand in the World Aquatics' vote for the best male swimmer award.

Marchand, also a three-time individual gold medalist, was favoured largely because he broke Michael Phelps' 15-year-old world record in the men's 400m individual medley.

Australia's Kaylee McKeown, who secured both the 100m and 200m backstroke golds, was named the best female swimmer.

In other events, Sweden's Sarah Sjoestroem clinched the women's 50m freestyle title, adding to her 100m butterfly gold. This marked the 30-year-old's 12th gold medal at the World Championships over 14 years.

Australia's Shayna Jack finished second, and China's Zhang Yufei, the women's 100m butterfly winner, secured the bronze.

Canada's Summer McIntosh, 16, retained her title in the women's 400m individual medley, complementing her 200m butterfly gold.

Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte smashed the women's 50m breaststroke world record in 29.16 seconds, shaving 0.14 seconds off the previous mark of 29.30 set by Italy's Benedetta Pilato in 2021.

The Fukuoka World Championships, featuring swimming, diving, water polo, open water swimming, artistic swimming, and high diving, had been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

China topped the final medal tally with 20 gold, 8 silver, and 12 bronze medals. 12 of their gold medals came from diving, 3 from artistic swimming, and 5 from swimming.

Australia placed second with 15 gold, 9 silver, and 6 bronze medals, while the United States ranked third with 7 gold, 22 silver, and 15 bronze medals.

The next World Aquatics Championships is slated for Doha, Qatar, in February 2024.

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