{"id":578260,"date":"2024-02-16T02:46:52","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T09:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=578260"},"modified":"2024-02-16T06:18:12","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T13:18:12","slug":"world-championships-day-6-prelims-women-curzan-chases-backstroke-treble-sjostrom-a-record-sixth-50fly-in-her-sights-with-a-new-champion-to-be-crowned-in-the-800m-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-championships-day-6-prelims-women-curzan-chases-backstroke-treble-sjostrom-a-record-sixth-50fly-in-her-sights-with-a-new-champion-to-be-crowned-in-the-800m-free\/","title":{"rendered":"World Championships, Day 6 Prelims (Women): Claire Curzan Chases Backstroke Treble; Sarah Sjostrom Seeking Record Sixth 50 Fly Title"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Championships, Day 6 Prelims (Women): Claire Curzan Chases Backstroke Treble; Sarah Sjostrom Seeking Record Sixth 50 Fly Title<\/strong><\/p>\n

US Tokyo Olympian and exciting Paris prospect Claire Curzan<\/strong> is on target to become only the second female in history to complete a World Championship backstroke treble – leading the field into tonight’s semi-finals of the 200m backstroke at the Aspire Dome in Doha.<\/p>\n

Cruzan has already pocketed gold in the 50 and 100m backstroke finals as well a silver in the 100m butterfly and if she can take gold in the 200m she will emulate Australian Kaylee McKeown<\/strong>‘s feat from Fukuoka last year.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old five-time World Championship gold medallist from the University of Virginia cruised through to win the fourth and final heat in 2:10.50, with Australian 17-year-old rookie Jacklyn Barclay<\/strong>, the winner of first seeded heat in 2:10.82 with Bulgarian Gabriela Georgieva<\/strong> (2:10.86) and Hungary’s Ester Szabo-Felththy<\/strong> (2:10;95) the only others under 2:11.00.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Enter the legendary Swede Sarah Sjostrom<\/strong> who took just 24.88 seconds to stamp her authority on her specialist 50m butterfly as she sets her sights on her own slice of history and a sixth consecutive world championship – unbeaten since 2015 in Kazan – adding further tiltes in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023 – and also the owner of 12 individual world crowns and one of world swimming’s true Superstars.<\/p>\n

The 30-year-old holds the world record any 24.43, set in 2014 and the Championship record at 24.60 set in Budapest in 2017 – both times under serious threat.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And for the first time since 2011 a new name will appear on the honour roll in the women’s 800m freestyle – won for the last six times by US legend Katie Ledecky<\/strong> since 2013. The only other previous medallists qualifying for the Night Seven final in Doha will be Italy’s Simona Quadrella<\/strong> ( second fastest in 8:27.80) who won silver in 2019 and bronze in 2022 and Australia’s Kiah Melverton<\/strong> (seventh 8:35.22) who won silver to Ledecky in the 2022 final.<\/p>\n

The fastest qualifier was heat two winner, Germany’s Isabel Gose<\/strong> (8:26.49) while there were equal eighth place finishers – forcing a rare nine swimmer final under World Aquatic rules, which normally requires a swim off.<\/p>\n

Australia’s Maddy Gough<\/strong> and Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto<\/strong> both stopped the clock in 8:35.25.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n