World Aquatics Championships: Double delight for China as Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei strike gold

China won back-to-back gold medals on the second day of swimming action at the World Aquatics Championships as Qin Haiyang roared to victory in the men's 100 metres breaststroke while Zhang Yufei took the women's 100m butterfly title on Monday. Qin set the second-fastest time in history behind Britain's world record holder Adam Peaty, finishing in 57.69 seconds with a three-way tie for the silver as Nicolo Martinenghi, Arno Kamminga and Nic Fink were all locked on 58.72 seconds.

The new champion also shaved 0.13 seconds off his previous Asian record of 57.82 seconds which was set in the semi-finals. Zhang then came up with another dominating display to emerge triumphant in her event with a time of 56.12 seconds, finishing ahead of Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Margaret Mac Neil of Canada and 2022 champion Torri Huske of the United States. "This is my first gold medal at the world championships," said double Olympic champion Zhang, who has seven bronze medals at the worlds. "This is my happy time. I just feel wonderful and amazing."

The absence of defending champion Caeleb Dressel from the men's 50m butterfly event opened the door for Thomas Ceccon who touched the wall in 22.68 seconds to win Italy's first gold of the meet to loud cheers at a packed Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall. Seven-time Olympic gold medallist Dressel, who also claimed gold in the 2019 Gwangju worlds, failed to qualify for Fukuoka after disappointing displays at the U.S. national championships.

Diogo Matos Ribeiro of Portugal was 0.12 seconds behind Ceccon to capture the silver medal while it was a disappointing outing for Frenchman Maxime Grousset, who was 0.14 seconds off the pace and had to settle for bronze. Grousset watched compatriot Leon Marchand open France's account on Sunday by shattering American great Michael Phelps' 15-year 400m individual medley record en route to gold and had set the pace in the semi-finals with a new national mark.

Alex Walsh will look to defend her 200m individual medley title later on Monday and could face stiff competition from China's Yu Yiting, who was only 0.77 seconds behind the American's leading time in the semi-finals. Australia's triple Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown was one of three competitors disqualified from the semi-finals after the 22-year-old was adjudged to have committed a violation as she switched from backstroke to breaststroke.

Britain's Katie Shanahan and Italy's Sara Franceschi also missed out on the final.

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