The fourth day of the World Aquatics Championships 2025 delivered thrilling performances and historic milestones, with American swimmer Luca Urlando claiming a dramatic victory in the men’s 200m butterfly. Urlando clocked 1:51.87, narrowly missing Michael Phelps’ 1:51.51 American record, while outpacing Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski (1:52.64) and Australia’s Harrison Turner (1:54.17). The 21-year-old’s triumph underscored a day marked by fierce competition and broken records.
In contrast, U.S. teammate Bobby Finke fell short of the podium in the men’s 800m freestyle, finishing fourth with a time of 7:46.42. Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi dominated the event in 7:36.88, followed by Germany’s Sven Schwarz (7:39.96) and Lukas Martens (7:40.19). Meanwhile, Canada’s Summer McIntosh continued her stellar run, securing a spot in the 200m butterfly finals after earlier golds in the 200m medley and 400m freestyle. McIntosh posted 2:06.22 in the semifinals, trailing Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers (2:06.13) by a slim margin.
Regan Smith solidified her status as a standout for Team USA, advancing to the 50m backstroke finals with a semifinal time of 27.23 seconds. The performance adds to her silver medal from the 100m backstroke earlier in the competition. Another American, Jack Alexy, made waves by shattering Caeleb Dressel’s national record in the 100m freestyle, clocking 46.81 seconds to lead semifinal qualifiers. Romania’s David Popovici followed closely at 46.84, setting up a highly anticipated final.
France’s Leon Marchand signaled his medal ambitions in the 200m individual medley, topping the semifinals in 1:57.63—a time just ahead of Japan’s Kosuke Makino (1:57.74) and American Shaine Casas (1:57.76). In relay action, a team designated as “Neutral Athletes B” claimed the 4x100m medley in 3:37.97, edging out China (3:39.99) and Canada (3:40.90).
Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan dominated the women’s 200m freestyle final in 1:53.48, with China’s Li Bingjie (1:54.52) and American Claire Weinstein (1:54.67) completing the podium. Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo stunned the field in the men’s 50m breaststroke, winning gold in 26.54 seconds over Neutral Athlete Kirill Prigoda (26.62) and China’s Qin Haiyang (26.67).
As the championships progress, attention now turns to upcoming finals, where rising stars and seasoned veterans alike will vie for global supremacy. Urlando’s near-miss of Phelps’ record and Alexy’s record-breaking sprint highlight a meet where history looms large, while athletes from 17 nations have already secured podium finishes, reflecting the event’s global reach.
