World Championships, Day 3 Finals: Tang Qianting Takes Home Wide Open 100 Breast

Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

World Championships, Day 3 Finals: Tang Qianting Takes Home Wide Open 100 Breast

With just one swimmer retained from last year’s final in the women’s 100 breaststroke, a new face was required to step to the fore in Doha.

Tang Qianting was the one that raised her hand.

The Chinese teen secured gold with a time of 1:05.27, a half-second clear of the field. Tang was first at the wall and held off a late charge from Tes Schouten of the Netherlands, who added a silver medal to her recent haul. Siobhan Haughey added a bronze medal, showing her versatility outside the freestyle events.

“There were some changes to the training and I made a big progress in terms of tactics and skills,” Tang said. “Honestly, I didn’t expect myself to win this race, because I wasn’t doing really well since the competition in Japan last year where I didn’t even make it to the semifinal. That’s why I wasn’t thinking of winning this time. I was thinking it wasn’t a big deal to lose since I have lost so many races.”

Only one swimmer – Mona McSharry of Ireland – made the finals in Fukuoka and Doha. Schouten, who won bronze in the 200 breast in Fukuoka, was 10th in this event last year. Tang was 20th. Haughey didn’t swim the event last year. (Two of the final holdovers didn’t make finals this year, with gold medalist Ruta Meilutyte 17th in prelims and Sophie Hansson 10th in semis.) Silver medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa and Lydia Jacoby of the United States both passed on Doha.

That didn’t mean that this race was all that much slower. Meilutyte won in 1:04.62, but Schouten’s time of 1:05.82 and Haughey’s 1:05.92 were each faster by .02 than Schoenmaker and Jacoby last year.

The medal is the first in long-course internationals for Tang, who won the 100 breast at the World Short-Course Championships in 2021.

This is just Haughey’s second career Worlds medal, joining silver in the 100 free in Fukuoka. She’s a double Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo in 2021. Haughey’s swim in the final came barely 30 minutes after she finished second in semifinals of the 200 free to book a finals spot.

“I had zero expectations coming into this race,” she said. “I just wanted to see what I could do, and I think I surprised myself. I just did the 100m breaststroke for fun – I don’t know what I expected, but I am really happy with how it turned out.”

Tang was first at the wall in 30.25 seconds with Haughey second. Schouten was sixth at the wall before delivering the fastest final 50 of the race in 34.36 to scoot up to third.

The fact that Schouten, who is most comfortable in the 200, can turn it on quickly enough to medal in the 100 bodes well for her chances in the longer event, both this week and this year in the lead up to Paris.

“I didn’t really expect to get on the podium on the 100m, because normally on the 100m I am a bit slower compared to the other girls, so I’m just really happy with it,” Schouten said. “It was kind of a surprise to win a medal, because in Fukuoka I didn’t make it to the final. I was also very pleased with my time, only one tenth above my PB, so I’m grateful. My stroke feels really good and having won a medal in the 100 definitely gives me confidence. Swimming is about feeling good and feeling strong and I can’t wait for the 200.”

Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova finished fourth in 1:06.02. McSharry was never in the medal picture at 1:06.42. Alina Zmushka of Belarus, swimming as a neutral international athlete, finished sixth.

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Isabelle Fraser

2 months ago

What are the medalists throwing up into the stands after the awards ceremonies?

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John Lohn - Editor-in-Chief

2 months ago

Reply to Isabelle Fraser

Typically, it’s the stuffed animal they receive during the awards ceremony.

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