Team China competes in the mixed duet free final at the 2022 FINA World Championships on June 25, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Xinhua

 
The eighth competition day of the 19th FINA World Championships bade farewell to two disciplines: swimming and artistic swimming, with nine finals contested on Saturday.

The first final of the day was the mixed duet free, where China's duo Shi Haoyu and Zhang Yiyao got 88.4000 points to take the bronze, while Italian Giorgio Minisini and Lucrezia Ruggiero won the gold on 90.9667 and Japan's Sato Tomoka and Sato Yotaro claimed the silver on 89.7333.

The women's team highlight routine was the last final for artistic swimmers, and it concluded with the victory of Ukraine (95.0333), who beat two Mediterranean nations, Italy (92.2667) and Spain (91.9333).

American swimmer Justin Ress won the men's 50 meters backstroke with a time of 24.12 seconds to beat his compatriot Hunter Armstrong in 24.14 and Poland's Ksawery Masiuk in 24.49.

Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won the women's 50 meters breaststroke with 29.70 seconds, her second world title nine years after claiming the women's 100 meters breaststroke gold in 2013.

Italy's Benedetta Pilato (29.80) and Lara Van Niekerk from South Africa (29.90) took the silver and bronze respectively, while Tang Qianting from China finished fourth (30.21).

The men's 1,500 meters freestyle final ended with a new meeting record of 14:32.80 thanks to Italian swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri, who beat American swimmer Bobby ­Finke (14:36.70) and Florian Wellbroke from Germany (14:36.94).

Sarah Sjoestroem from Sweden was the fastest in the women's 50 meters freestyle final with a time of 23.98 seconds, surpassing Katarzyna Wasick from Poland (24.18) and Meg Harris from Australia (24.38).

Hungarian fans gathered eagerly to cheer for Katinka Hosszu in the women's 400 meters medley, but the local heroine fell short of the podium and finished fourth.

The women's 400 meters medley final was won by Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh in 4:32.04, followed by American Katie Grimes (4:32.67) and Emma Weyant (4:36.00). China's Ge Chutong finished sixth in 4:38.37.

Italy won the men's 4x100 meters medley relay in 3:27.51, their very first medal of the event at worlds, beating the United States (3:27.79) and Britain (3:31.31) to the second and third places respectively. China finished eighth in 3:34.62.

The last final of the day was the women's 4x100 meters medley relay, and the US won the gold in 3:53.78 for a record eighth time at the worlds. The silver went to Australia (3:54.25) while the bronze to Canada (3:55.01), and China finished sixth in 3:57.73.

Team China claimed on gold and four bronzes in swimming. Yang Junxuan won the women's 200 meters freestyle on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Yang finished first in 1:54.92 seconds, followed by Australian Mollie O'Callaghan in 1:55.22.

Yang's 18-year-old teammate Tang Muhan grabbed the bronze medal in 1:56.25.  

From Sunday, diving and open-water swimming will join water polo to be competed at the FINA World Championships.