The Americans continued to pile on the medals on night two of the 2022 FINA World Championships, picking up three gold and three bronze medals in Budapest, highlighted by
Torri Huske’s American record in the women’s 100-meter fly.
Nic Fink (Morristown, N.J./Metro Atlantic Aquatic Club) got the night started with a bronze in the first event, the men’s 100m breast. He finished in 58.65, just a tenth off his semi-final time, and became just the fourth American to medal in the event since 2001. It was his first medal of his world-championships career (LCM) in four times competing at the meet. Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi (58.26) and The Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga (58.62) finished ahead of Fink.
“It feels good, first one so I can’t complain with the results and I’m looking forward to hopefully getting some more [medals] this week,” Fink said after his swim.
Huske, who hails from Arlington Virginia and trains at Stanford, kept the ball rolling in the women’s 100m fly with a new American record and gold medal-winning swim of 55.64 for her first world title. Huske broke her own American record of 55.66, which she had set at last summer’s Olympic Trials. France’s Marie Wattel (56.14) and China’s Yufei Zhang (56.41) filled out the podium.
Claire Curzan (Cary, N.C./TAC Titans) of the U.S. finished fifth in the final with a 56.74.
“It’s really amazing, I don’t really know how to put it into words because it’s kind of surreal,” Huske said after her race. “I feel like I haven’t really processed it yet. I’m just happy that I went a best time, more than anything, because at the end of the day I just want to see that I’m improving.”
In the men’s 50m fly,
Caeleb Dressel (Green Cove Springs, Fla./Gator Swim Club) bested the championship final with a winning time of 22.57, with Brazil’s Nicholas Santos in second at 22.78 and American teammate
Michael Andrew (Encinitas, Calif./MA Swim Academy) in third at 22.79. Dressel has now won the last two world championships in the 50m fly.
“It feels good to get the first individual one out of the way, it’s always the most nerve racking. I feel like I executed well, it could have been better but that’s ok,” Dressel said. “Really I’m just happy for Michael, I didn’t know that was his first individual medal so it’ll be fun to share the podium with him tonight.”
“It was nice, I knew it was going to take a 22.5 to win it,” Andrew said. “It’s disappointing to not be on top but it’s nice to get my first individual medal in long course; I’ll just keep it rolling into the next one.”
After winning silver in the event in Tokyo,
Alex Walsh (Nashville, Tenn./Nashville Aquatic Club/University of Virginia) moved up a spot on the podium in the women’s 200m IM, taking gold in 2:07.13, a personal best. The Americans last won the event in 2009, when Ariana Kukors took gold.
Leah Hayes (Sugar Grove, Ill./Fox Valley Park District Riptides), making her world championship debut, will be bringing home a bronze medal after breaking the world junior record with a 2:08.91 in finals. Australian Kaylee McKeown, a double Olympic gold medalist in the backstroke events last summer, claimed silver in 2:08.57.
In semi-final action, Hunter Armstrong (third, 52.37) and Ryan Murphy (sixth, 52.80) both advanced to the men’s 100m back final tomorrow. Lilly King (eighth, 1:06.40) just squeezed into the women’s 100m breast final, while teammate Annie Lazor was disqualified in semis.
The women’s 100m back final tomorrow will feature Americans Regan Smith (first, 57.65) and Claire Curzan (third, 58.96). In the men’s 200m free, Drew Kibler (sixth, 1:45.54) and Kieran Smith (eighth, 1:46.06) will have the chance to race for a medal in the final.
Head to
www.usaswimming.org/2022Worlds for all information on the U.S. team.