{"id":533833,"date":"2023-07-27T04:51:40","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T11:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=533833"},"modified":"2023-07-27T05:26:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T12:26:22","slug":"world-championships-day-five-semifinals-marrit-steenbergen-paces-100-freestyle-mollie-ocallaghan-stalking-repeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-championships-day-five-semifinals-marrit-steenbergen-paces-100-freestyle-mollie-ocallaghan-stalking-repeat\/","title":{"rendered":"World Championships, Day Five Semifinals: Marrit Steenbergen Paces 100 Freestyle; Mollie O’Callaghan Stalking Repeat"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Championships, Day Five Semifinals: Marrit Steenbergen Paces 100 Freestyle; Mollie O’Callaghan Stalking Repeat<\/strong><\/p>\n

Through five days, a look at the medals distribution at the World Championships will not include the name of Marrit Steenbergen<\/strong>. Nonetheless, the Dutchwoman has enjoyed a superb meet, qualifying for the final of 200-meter individual medley and producing several impressive splits in relay duty for her nation. And on Thursday night at the Marine Messe Hall, she turned in another noteworthy performance.<\/p>\n

Racing in the first semifinal, Steenbergen earned the top seed for the final of the 100 freestyle following a time of 52.82. That swim was slightly quicker than the 52.86 registered by Australian Mollie O’Callaghan<\/strong> in the second semifinal. O’Callaghan is the reigning world champion in the event and coming off a world record in the 200 freestyle. She was also 52.08 leading off Australia’s victorious and world-record setting 400 freestyle relay on Night One of the competition.<\/p>\n

There’s no question 52-high will not get the job done in the final, but Steenbergen did all that was required at this point: She booked a lane for the medals race. Steenbergen should have something much faster in her arsenal in the final, as she split 51-high earlier in the week in relay action. O’Callaghan, though, will enter Thursday night as the favorite, her backend speed something to behold.<\/p>\n

Qualifying third and the only other sub-53 performer was Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey<\/strong>, who touched the wall ion 52.90. Haughey has enjoyed a quality prep season and just missed the podium in the 200 freestyle at Worlds, placing fourth. She was followed in fourth by Olympic titlist Emma McKeon<\/strong> of Australia, who clocked a 53.00.<\/p>\n

The American tandem of Abbey Weitzeil<\/strong> (53.36) and Kate Douglass<\/strong> (53.38) were fifth and sixth and the field for the final was rounded out by Sweden’s Michelle Coleman<\/strong> (53.41) and China’s Yang Junxuan<\/strong> (53.67).<\/p>\n