The World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships kicked off today in the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel where thirty-eight of America’s top junior swimmers are competing from September 4-9. Overall, more than 600 athletes and 100 national federations are slated to compete at this showcase of the best young swimming talent in the world. 

Highlights of night one for the Americans include:

• Two championship records
• One world junior record
• Three gold medal performances
• Six advancements to tomorrow’s finals
• Eight personal best times

Women’s 400m Individual Medley – FINAL 
1 – Leah Hayes (Sugar Grove, Ill./Fox Valley Park District Riptides), 4:36.84*
4 – Lilla Bognar (Travelers Rest, S.C./Team Greenville), 4:42.83
*championship record

Hayes on her race: “I think my (prelims) swim really washed off my nervous jitters and nervous energy. Going into tonight, I knew what I had to do. I don’t like going into my races with expectations for myself, I just like to go in and have fun and swim it how I normally would in a practice. I thought it was a good race and I loved racing all my competitors from around the world. To have the U.S. behind me cheering me on, that was amazing.”

Hayes on her double championship record wins tonight: “It took me a few seconds to regain strength in my legs, but I knew it wasn’t over yet (after the 400 IM). I had to keep going and do (my best) for my team. I cooled down and rehydrated and I got up for the 2 free (relay). I knew it was probably going to hurt, but for my team I had to give it my all. I think having my team behind me in that moment gave me this newfound energy. I got in that water, and I felt just fine.”

Race Notes: 

• Hayes set a new championship record. 
• Hayes dropped almost two seconds for a new personal best time. 

Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – FINAL 
1 – United States, 3:15.49**
   Daniel Diehl (Cumberland, Md./YMCA of Cumberland), 49.93
   Maximus Williamson (Southlake, Texas/Lakeside Aquatic Club), 47.78
   Hudson Williams (Powell, Ohio/New Albany Aquatic Club, 49.14
   Jason Zhao (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays), 48.64
**world junior record and championship record

Diehl on Olympian Anthony Ervin watching the meet in person: “Anthony Ervin is a legend in the sport, the oldest medalist to win an Olympic gold medal. It’s great to have him here and to have him watching us.”

Williamson on competing on his birthday: “Even though it’s my birthday, I wasn’t even focused on that. I was just focused on performing for these three guys, and everyone else on Team USA. It’s just an honor (to be here).”

Williams on being part of the World Championships team: “Every single day we come and work hard, the past few days have been really good. We are all really prepared so I’m glad it turned out this way.”

Zhao on being on the relay: “It feels great. I’m super happy with what all four of us were able to do here and super happy being able to represent Team USA. It’s an honor.”

Race Notes: 

• The relay set a new world junior record by three tenths of a second. The previous record was held by the United States, set last year in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships. 
• The relay set a new championship record by .31. The previous record was held by the United States, set in 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. 

Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – FINAL 
1 – United States, 7:52.48
   Addison Sauickie (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Sharks), 1:58.17
   Leah Hayes (Sugar Grove, Ill./Fox Valley Park District Riptides), 1:57.86
   Lynsey Bowen (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), 1:59.00
   Madison Mintenko (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pikes Peak Aquatics), 1:57.45

Sauickie on swimming on the relay: “It was amazing, and the girls that swam this morning, Anna (Moesch) and Bailey (Hartman), they set us up for tonight. They were such a crucial part of this relay. I’m so excited to celebrate this with them."

Hayes on her double: “Swimming for Team USA and for my teammates, I just found this new energy, and even more motivation than before. Just had to keep going and give more and help the team.” 

Bowen on her race: “It was good, it was a better swim than this morning. I was so excited to be on a relay with these girls, they are so fast. I’ve loved racing Madi (Mintenko) over the past year and Adi (Sauickie) and Leah (Hayes), they are just so supportive and nice. I couldn’t have ever done it without them.” 

Mintenko on the relay: “The swim was amazing, it’s such an honor to be able to swim with these girls. Especially with Leah (Hayes), she is just an amazing person and swimmer. I’ve been swimming with Lynsey (Bowen) and against Adi (Sauickie) forever, and it’s so amazing to be able to do something like that with them.”

Race Notes:

• Sauickie’s lead off time was a new personal best. 

Men’s 400m Freestyle – FINAL 
5 – Luke Whitlock (Noblesville, Ind./Fishers Area Swimming Tigers), 3:50.46
7 – Norvin Clontz (Charlotte, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina), 3:51.55

Race Notes:

• Whitlock dropped almost a full second for a new personal best time. 

Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Semifinal
1 – Watson Nguyen (Plano, Texas/Metroplex Aquatics), 1:01.34
2 – Joshua Chen (Ames, Iowa/Texas Ford Aquatics), 1:01.49

Race Notes: 

• Both Nguyen and Chen earned qualifying places to swim in tomorrow night’s final. 
• Nguyen dropped about a half a second for a new personal best.
• Chen dropped a little over a tenth for a new personal best. 

 Women’s 100m Backstroke – Semifinal
1 – Teagan O’Dell (Chino Hills, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores), 59.83
2 – Erika Pelaez (Hialeah, Fla./Eagle Aquatics), 59.94

Race Notes: 

• Both O’Dell and Pelaez earned qualifying places to swim in tomorrow night’s final. 
• Pelaez dropped almost two tenths, breaking the 1:00 barrier for the first time and earning a new personal best.  

Women’s 50m Breaststroke – Semifinal 
4 – Piper Enge (Mercer Island, Wash./Bellevue Club Swim Team), 31.15
12th – Molly Sweeney (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), 31.83

Race Notes: 

• Enge’s time earned her a spot in tomorrow’s final. 
• Enge dropped .04 for a new personal best.
• Sweeney dropped about three tenths for a new personal best. 

 Men’s 100m Backstroke – Semifinal
4T – Daniel Diehl (Cumberland, Md./YMCA of Cumberland), 54.27
12th – Caleb Maldari (Charlotte, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina), 55.48

Race Notes: 

• Diehl’s time earned him a spot in tomorrow’s final.  

The competition continues through Saturday, September 9. A complete schedule of events can be found here. Prelims start each day at 2:30 a.m. ET (9:30 a.m. local) and finals start at 11 a.m. ET (6 p.m. local time).  

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