Gwangju 2019 In The Mirror: Numbers & Links To Coverage Of The World Championships

2019-07-30 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Adam Peaty, top, of Great Britain, and Yasuhiro Koseki of Japan - as Peaty powers to the 100m breaststroke world record in semi-finals at world titles in Gwangju - photo by Patrick B. Kraemer

World Swimming Championships (Gwangju 2019 In The Mirror)

We hope you enjoyed the Swimming World coverage of the World Championships, the efforts of Liz Byrnes, Andy Ross, David Rieder, John Lohn and Craig Lord and appreciated the work unseen put in by our colleagues in the USA, including Brent Rutemiller, Taylor O’Brien, Dan D’Addona and others. Here’s an overview of the numbers and links to all the finals in Gwangju.  

The racing is done, the USA is the top team once more, weaker than it has often been but dominant yet and bolstered by the pioneering efforts of Caeleb Dressel, Regan Smith, Simone Manuel and Lilly King, the illness of Katie Ledecky significant to her and to the overall team outcome.

Budapest 2017 marked one of the most dominant American shows of force in the history of world championships, challenging but nor surpassing the best outcome ever, that at Melbourne 2007, when Michael Phelps won seven golds, including 5 solos and 4 world records and there were no mixed relays: 20 gold, 13 silver and 3 bronzes for 36 in all before a time of further bloating of the program and the likes of mixed relays.

In Budapest it was 18 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze for 38 for the USA; in Gwangju, it was 14 gold, 8 silver, 5 bronze, for 27.

The only team that came close was Australia, the Dolphins having a tremendous meet, with 5 gold, 9 silver, 5 bronze for 19 medals overall.

As Swimming World‘s John Lohn noted,there is much potential back home and no need to panic in terms of Tokyo 2020. Fact: the USA, for all the weaknesses real and relative, remains the global swimming powerhouse.

Caeleb Dressel of the United States of America (USA) celebrates after winning in the men's 100m Butterfly Final during the Swimming events at the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships, Gwangju, South Korea, 27 July 2019.
Caeleb Dressel – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer

The overall League of Swim Nations has not shifted significantly, the following numbers close to what we’ve seen anytime in the past 20, and on some measures, 30 years:

  • 12 countries won gold medals, 21 countries won medals, and 35 countries had final swims.
  • The USA top and Australia was next best when it came to the highest number of titles, total medals and final swims.
  • Australia topped the relay count, with four gold, two silver and one bronze medals, the USA with three gold, four silver and one bronze medals. Among women, the Australian 4x200m quartet stole the show; among men, Great Britain’s historic last-night win in the 4x100m medley shone through.

Adam Peaty (top) and Duncan Scott of Great Britain celebrate 4x100m Medley gold

The outstanding splits of the championships were:

  • 57.57 world record USA lead on backstroke from Regan Smith in the women’s 4x100m medley;
  • 1:54.27 Commonwealth record from Ariarne Titmus leading Australia to a world-record win in the 4x200m freestyle;
  • 51.10 from Australia’s Cate Campbell in the 4x100m mixed medley
  • 46.14 from Britain’s Duncan Scott on freestyle and..
  • 49.28 by America’s Caeleb Dressel on butterfly in the men’s 4x100m medley.

Go to Swimming World for the rest of this article, the medals, the outstanding performances, the links to all finals and the moments that made the championships.

More thoughts to come in this space in the fullness of time…

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