Luca Urlando wins first career world title in 200m butterfly

NBC Sports

3 days ago

Luca Urlando claimed his first world title and the first title for the American men at the World Championships in the 200m butterfly, becoming the first American man to win this event at a World Championship since Michael Phelps did in 2011.
Urlando lowered his personal best by a half-second to 1:51.87, joining Phelps and Olympic gold medalists Kristof Milak and Leon Marchand as the only swimmers to break 1:52.00.
For Urlando, this win is more than just a world title, it represents the adversity he has overcome.
Nearly three years ago, Urlando had to be helped out of the pool after dislocating his shoulder for a third time in a three-year span. This injury came just one year after Urlando finished third in both the 100m and 200m butterfly at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, one place shy of qualifying for the Olympics.
'It has felt like a six-year process to get back to this moment,' Urlando said on Peacock. 'A lot of doubt, a lot of really hard times, a lot of things that people don't see on an everyday basis. So I kind of told myself post-surgery, if I could get through those next few months, nothing could really stop me. Obviously getting to do it on a world stage like this is just amazing.'
Despite the absence of Olympic gold-medalist Marchand, who opted out of this event to focus on the 200m IM, and world-record holder Milak, who isn't competing in this year's competition, Urlando raced as the top seed in prelims, semifinals and finals, swimming three of his four fastest times in his career.
The 23-year-old, who finished 17th in the same event at the 2024 Paris Olympics just 20 months after his injury, has had arguably the best year of his swimming career. He competed in his final collegiate season with the University of Georgia, where he won the NCAA title in the 200y butterfly with an American, NCAA, U.S. Open, SEC and school record time.
A week later, he swam lifetime bests in the 100m and 200m butterfly at the Pro Swim Series in his hometown of Sacramento. He became the second-fastest American in history in the 200m fly, behind Phelps, dropping over a second from his previous best time from 2019.
'The belief that I can get back to a moment like this after all that adversity,' Urlando said. 'Just internal belief.'
With the 2028 LA Olympics three years away, Urlando will attempt to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Giampaolo Urlando, who competed in three Olympics, including the 1984 LA Games, in the hammer throw.
'I hope to just build off more experiences like this,' Urlando said. 'It's a huge stepping stone for 2028. I have some new goals going forward, going to work through them with my coach and see how much I can get better at the little things. Just continue with that.'
Nick Zaccardi,
In other finals Wednesday, Australian Mollie O'Callaghan followed her 2024 Olympic title by winning a second world title in the 200m free. She clocked 1:53.48, distancing Li Bingjie of China by 1.04.
Claire Weinstein, an 18-year-old American, took bronze after personal bests in the semis and final. It's her first individual medal at a major international long-course meet. Weinstein was one of the Americans who dealt with a stomach bug leading up to worlds.
'A week ago, I didn't know if I was going to be able to swim in this meet,' she said on Peacock.
Ahmed Jaouadi extended Tunisia's distance tradition by taking the 800m free in 7:36.88, the third-fastest time in history.
He beat a field that included the last two Olympic gold medalists — American Bobby Finke (fourth) and Ireland's Daniel Wiffen (eighth).
Finke said he was happy to make the final and that his personal goals were derailed by the stomach bug, according to NBC Sports' Nicole Auerbach.
Wiffen was set back last month by appendicitis.
Neutral Athletes B won the mixed-gender medley relay. The U.S., which broke the world record at the Olympics, missed the world final after placing 10th in the preliminary heats.
In semifinal action, Jack Alexy broke the American record in the 100m free. He swam 46.81, taking down Caeleb Dressel's record of 46.96 from 2019. China's Pan Zhanle, who won the Olympic title in a world record (46.40), did not make this final after placing 10th overall in the semis.
Worlds continue through Sunday with preliminary heats at 10 p.m. ET and finals at 7 a.m., live on Peacock.
Thursday's finals are expected to feature Paris Olympic gold medalists Leon Marchand of France in the 200m individual medley and Summer McIntosh of Canada in the 200m fly, plus Katie Ledecky in the 4x200m free relay.