MacNeil Flies Past Olympic Champion to Take World Championships Gold
7/22/2019 10:08:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
GWANGJU, South Korea -- Rising sophomore Maggie MacNeil of the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team won gold in the 100-meter butterfly Monday evening (July 22) at the FINA World Championships, held at the Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center.
After qualifying second for the final, MacNeil (Canada) won it on the back half, chasing down defending Olympic champion Sarah Sjöström (Sweden) to take the gold medal. MacNeil was fifth at the halfway point but finished in 55.83, setting new Commonwealth, Americas and Canadian records. Sjöström was second in 56.22, and Australia's Emma McKeon (56.61) won the bronze.
A fantastic race in the Women's 100m Butterfly where everybody was expecting "Super Swede", Sarah Sjöström, to add to her gold-collection…everybody that is, except a 19-year old from Ontario. #FINAGwangju2019 #Swimming pic.twitter.com/GXqZZaDwK5
— FINA (@fina1908) July 22, 2019
MacNeil becomes the second-fastest performer in history (behind Sjöström) and only the third woman to break 56 seconds (Sjöström and USA's Dana Vollmer).
Coming into the meet, MacNeil's previous personal best was 57.04 from the Canadian Swimming Trials in April. She was clocked at 58.38 at the Junior Pac Pacific Championships last summer.
It was the second medal of the meet for MacNeil, who won a bronze medal on Sunday as part of Canada's 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
Players Mentioned
