{"id":618256,"date":"2025-07-28T04:28:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T11:28:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=618256"},"modified":"2025-07-28T07:08:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T14:08:17","slug":"world-championships-day-2-finals-qin-haiyang-runs-down-nicolo-martinenghi-to-retake-100-breast-crown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-championships-day-2-finals-qin-haiyang-runs-down-nicolo-martinenghi-to-retake-100-breast-crown\/","title":{"rendered":"World Championships, Day 2 Finals: Qin Haiyang Runs Down Nicolo Martinenghi to Retake 100 Breast Crown"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Championships, Day 2 Finals: Qin Haiyang Runs Down Nicolo Martinenghi to Retake 100 Breast Crown<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two years ago, Qin Haiyang <\/b>made history with the first-ever 50, 100 and 200-meter sweep in any stroke at the World Championships. But his Olympic follow-up was disastrous: seventh in the 100 breaststroke and out of the final in the 200 breast. The version of Qin that has arrived at this global meet in Singapore much more closely approximates the 2023 version, and he has returned to the top of the podium with a dominant back half.<\/p>\n

Qin was up against\u00a0Nicolo Martinenghi<\/strong>, the Italian swimmer who denied\u00a0Adam Peaty<\/strong> a three-peat in the event last year in Paris. The speedy Martinenghi was initially disqualified in the semifinal round, only to be reinstated moments later, and he jumped on the pace immediately off the start. Martinenghi touched at 26.90 at the halfway point, but Qin stayed close enough in 27.07.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old Chinese swimmer is the world-record holder in the 200 breaststroke, and the endurance showed through as he moved past Martinenghi down the back stretch. His\u00a0final time was 58.23, the fastest time in the world by one hundredth over the mark he posted in the semifinal round.<\/p>\n

“This definitely helps with confidence. I\u2019m competing in three events, and they\u2019re all tough ones. Even if I didn\u2019t win the gold today, I\u2019ve done better than yesterday, and that\u2019s enough for me. In the last 10 meters, we were all spent. Maybe this was when my technique gave me a little bit of an advantage. This win gives me confidence,” Qin said.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I can only say I will do my best. I desire it very much, but my form is not at its best. I\u2019ve been injured and it\u2019s not been easy to get back to my best. I\u2019m at 70% of my best. The level of the field is now all going up. I can only say I\u2019ll give it my best go.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Martinenghi’s mark of 58.58 was also a season-best, much quicker than the 59.03 he swam to win Olympic gold last year. Even though he was unable to win gold, he did win a medal for the sixth consecutive major meet, a run going back to the Tokyo Olympics, and he achieved the result despite dealing with illness in the 24 hours since the semifinals.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m really proud of myself tonight,” Martinenghi said. “That silver was a goal for me, especially after yesterday. Even though I did good yesterday night. I threw up the whole night so I\u2019ve got nothing inside me right now. I\u2019ve got only my heart and my brain working right now, so I compete with that today. That\u2019s why this silver medal feels like a gold for me.”<\/span><\/p>\n

While Qin and Martinenghi have become regulars highlighting this event,\u00a0Denis Petrashov<\/strong> has grabbed his first World Championships medal. The 25-year-old from Kazakhstan and the University of Louisville won gold just over a week ago at the World University Games, and he followed that up with his best performance in the key moment. Swimming in lane one, Petrashov came in at 58.88 for bronze, the first medal ever for Kazakhstan at the World Championships.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m not an emotional person, but this is very emotional for me. First medal for my country at the worlds, so very proud and happy. I was not expecting this at all. I had no idea where I was in the race. I saw the turn, we were close to each other, but I didn\u2019t see anything,” Petrashov said.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Of course we all want to win something. This was the final, I had nothing to lose. If you have a lane, you have a chance. It means a lot. Swimming is not very popular in my country. I\u2019m the only one here, there\u2019s also a girl here. Hopefully, we\u2019ll get more resources for swimming. We don\u2019t have an Olympic-sized pool in Kyrgyzstan. Hopefully this is a big step to more things.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Neutral athlete\u00a0Kirill Prigoda<\/strong> had posted the then-fastest time in the world in prelims at 58.53, seeking to return to the podium after many years away from international competition, but he failed to replicate that swim in future rounds. In the final, he was disqualified after initially finishing fourth.<\/p>\n

The Netherlands’\u00a0Caspar Corbeau\u00a0<\/strong>came in at 59.06, followed Italy’s Ludovico Viberti<\/strong> in 59.08. Corbeau set himself up for a strong performance in the 200 breast, the event in which he won Olympic bronze last year, while Viberti’s strong opening speed bodes well for the 50.<\/p>\n