What a magical night! Six world records were set on the first day of the Short Course Swimming World Championships!

In the early hours of December 11, the first day of competition at the World Swimming Championships in short course took place. The Chinese swimming team, primarily focused on training and preparation, failed to secure any medals on the opening day. In the first session, only two of their athletes advanced to the semifinals of the men’s 100-meter backstroke—yet neither managed to progress further from that stage. Meanwhile, the first day of the meet turned into a record-breaking night, as six existing world records were shattered.

Women's 100m Backstroke — Both Chinese athletes were eliminated in the semifinals.

In the women's 100m backstroke semifinal, the two Chinese swimmers competing—Qian Xin'an and Zheng Huiyu—recorded times of 56.79 seconds and 58.07 seconds, respectively, but neither managed to advance further.

Women's 400m Freestyle — McIntosh Breaks Li Bingjie's World Record

In the women's 400m freestyle final, Canadian star McIntosh claimed victory with a time of 3:50.25, shattering the previous world record of 3:51.30 held by Li Bingjie. This marks the first time a Canadian athlete has won the world title in the short-course 400m freestyle event.

Women's 50m Butterfly — Walsh Breaks World Record Again

Walsh, who previously broke the world record in the preliminaries, once again shattered the mark in the semifinals with a time of 23.94 seconds—making her the first swimmer ever to complete the short-course 50-meter butterfly event in under 24 seconds.

Men's 50m Butterfly — Ponti Sets World Record with 21.43 Seconds

In the men's 50m butterfly semifinal, Swiss swimmer Ponti shattered his own world record with a time of 21.43 seconds, advancing confidently into the final. This impressive 21.43-second performance improved upon his previous mark—set back in October at the Singapore World Cup—by an impressive 0.07 seconds.

Women's 200m Individual Medley—Douglas Breaks Record to Claim Gold

In the women's 200m individual medley final, Olympic champion Kate Douglass claimed victory with a time of 2:01.63, breaking the previous record set by Katinka Hosszú in 2014.

Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay — U.S. Team Sets World Record to Claim Gold

Walsh, who twice broke the record in the 50-meter butterfly, once again led the U.S. team to a world-record performance in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. Finishing with a time of 3 minutes 25.01 seconds, they not only set a new global benchmark but also comfortably secured the gold medal in the event.

Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay — U.S. Team Wins Gold with World Record Time of 3:01.66

In the men's 4x100m freestyle relay final, the U.S. team shattered the world record with a time of 3:01.66, capping off an incredible night.

Translated from NetEase Number: Panoramic Sports V