Australia’s Cameron McEvoy has won a bronze medal in the men’s 50-metre butterfly at the world championships in Doha.
McEvoy (23.08 seconds) finished behind Portuguese teenager Diogo Ribeiro, the surprise winner in 22.97, and Michael Andrew of the United States.
The bronze medal is McEvoy’s first global medal in butterfly, although the 50m butterfly is not an Olympic event.
The 29-year-old became the oldest Australian to win a swimming world championship in the 50m freestyle last year in Japan. He will aim to defend that title later in the week.
McEvoy’s 20-year-old teammate, Isaac Cooper, put in a storming swim but finished just outside the medals in 23.12, edged out after being unable to sustain a bright start.
Like Cooper, fellow Australians Sam Williamson and Brianna Throssell were also forced to settle for fourth place in their respective events.
Williamson was fourth in the 100m breaststroke, behind gold medallist Nic Fink, of the United States, who led from start to finish.
Fink beat Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi into second, with three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty third. Peaty, who has won the event on three occasions, had missed the last two editions.
“It’s definitely crazy getting the first worlds gold in the 100 at the age of 30,” Fink said.
Throssell also finished in fourth place as Germany’s Angelina Kohler won the women’s 100m butterfly, with fellow Australian Alex Perkins sixth.
The 23-year-old Kohler burst into tears in the pool after winning in 56.28, ahead of American Claire Curzan of the US and Louise Hansson of Sweden.
Kate Douglass — the only American individual gold medallist from last year’s worlds in Fukuoka, Japan, who came to Doha — comfortably defended her 200 individual medley title in 2:07.05, ahead of Sydney Pickrem of Canada (2:08.56) and Yu Yiting of China (2:09.01).
“That definitely hurt a lot. A lot more than it usually does at the end of the race,” Douglass said.
“I’m really happy with it.”
AAP
Sports content to make you think… or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Friday.