Results

FUKUOKA, Japan – On Thursday night at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, USA Swimming athletes collected four medals, including two individual podium finishes for Regan Smith. The U.S. has now won 21 medals (3g, 10s, 8b) after 10 competition sessions at the Marine Messe Arena. 

Smith (Lakeville, Minn./Sun Devil Swimming) won her second and third medals of the competition. In the night’s opening event, she finished with a bronze in the 200m butterfly and, 30 minutes later, earned a silver in the 50m backstroke. Earlier this week, Smith took silver in 100m backstroke. 

Jack Alexy (Mendham, N.J./California Aquatics), making his international debut, finished with a silver medal in the 100m freestyle. He swam a personal-best time of 47.31 in lane eight and joins Caeleb Dressel, Dave Walters and Ryan Held as the only Americans to go under the 47.5 mark. 

The U.S. women’s 4x200m freestyle relay earned the silver on Thursday and has now medaled in nine of the last 11 World Championships. Erin Gemmell (Potomac, Md./Nation’s Capital Swim Club), Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md./Gator Swim Club), Bella Sims (Henderson, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada) and Alex Shackell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club) combined for a time of 7:41.38. Prelim swimmers Leah Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Longhorn Aquatics) and Anna Peplowski (Germantown Hills, Ill. Indiana University) also receive medals. 

Matt Fallon, Gemmell, Peplowski and Shackell made their World Championships (LCM) debut on Thursday. 

Women’s 200m Butterfly – FINAL 
BRONZE – Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minn./Sun Devil Swimming), 2:06.58 
Eighth – Lindsay Looney (Denison, Texas Metroplex Aquatics/Arizona State), 2:07.90 

Smith on her performance: “I'm very proud that I got a medal for the U.S. Unfortunately, I didn't medal in that event in 2022 at the World Championships, so I'm making my way back up and I'm very proud of that.” 

Men’s 100m Freestyle – FINAL 
SILVER – Jack Alexy (Mendham, N.J./California Aquatics), 47.31* 
*Personal best 

Alexy on his performance: “I'm pretty happy to come back after that semifinal swim, getting messed up at the start. I knew I had a little chance of medaling or even winning that event. I'm very happy that I did, and I made myself proud.” 

Women’s 50m Backstroke – FINAL 
SILVER – Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minn./Sun Devil Swimming), 27.11 
Fifth – Katherine Berkoff (Missoula, Mont./Missoula Aquatic Club/NC State), 27.38 

Smith on her performance: “I’m really happy with that race. I think it was a really tight race and really fast. I’m really pleased with my time. It was just a hundredth off my best time. To do that right after the butterfly, I’m very pleased with it.” 

Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – FINAL 
SILVER – USA, 7:41.38 
   Erin Gemmell (Potomac, Md./Nation’s Capital Swim Club), 1:55.97 
   Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md./Gator Swim Club), 1:54.39 
   Bella Sims (Henderson, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada), 1:54.64 
   Alex Shackell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), 1:56.38 

With the U.S. earning silver, prelim swimmers Leah Smith and Anna Peplowski also receive medals. 

Sims on the race: “I knew that I had to give it all for this relay and it's my last swim, so I definitely had to leave it in the pool. Over the past few years, I learned to have fun with it and that not everything is as serious. The more fun you have, for me at least, the better I do, so that definitely comes with being a veteran.” 
 
Shackell on her anchor leg: “I was told I was anchoring after my (prelim) swim this morning. I wanted to have the best race possible, to put it all in the pool. I did not let anyone I'm racing get to me, I do my own thing and try to finish as well as I could.” 

Men’s 200m Individual Medley – FINAL 
Fourth – Shaine Casas (McAllen, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), 1:56.35 
Fifth – Carson Foster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays), 1:56.43 

Women’s 100m Freestyle – SEMIFINAL 
Fifth – Abbey Weitzeil (Santa Clarita, Calif./California Aquatics), 53.36 
Sixth – Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y./New York Athletic Club), 53.38 
The final will be contested on Friday, July 28. 

Men’s 200m Breaststroke – SEMIFINAL 
Third – Matt Fallon (Warren, N.J./Athens Bulldog Swim Club/University of Pennsylvania), 2:07.90 
Sixth – Josh Matheny (Pittsburgh, Pa./Indiana Swim Club/Indiana University), 2:09.04 
The final will be contested on Friday, July 28. 

Women’s 200m Breaststroke – SEMIFINAL 
Third – Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y./New York Athletic Club), 2:21.99 
Fourth – Lilly King (Evansville, Ind./Indiana Swim Club), 2:22.68 
The final will be contested on Friday, July 28. 

Men’s 200m Backstroke – SEMIFINAL 
Fourth – Ryan Murphy (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./California Aquatics), 1:56.02 
16th – Destin Lasco (Linwood, N.J./California Aquatics), 1:59.18 
The final will be contested on Friday, July 28. 

Competition continues Friday, July 28 with prelims at 10:30 a.m. and finals at 8 p.m. local time. In the U.S., prelims are Thursday, July 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET with finals at 7 a.m. ET on Friday, July 28.