China’s Qin Haiyang has reclaimed the men’s 100m breaststroke world title and set his sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after defeating reigning Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi in Singapore.
Qin clocked 58.23 seconds to beat Italy’s Martinenghi (58.58) and Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov (58.88) to win China’s first swimming gold at the championships.
The 26-year-old bounced back from a disappointing outing at the Paris Olympics, where he finished seventh in the 100m final despite leading at the halfway mark. His dominant performance in Singapore reaffirmed his status after sweeping all three breaststroke titles at the 2023 world championships and breaking the 200m world record.
“I have a lot of anticipation for LA 2028,” Qin said after his victory. “There are still many uncertainties ahead, and I have to be prepared for anything that may come.”
Though he admitted he is not yet at his peak, Qin described the win as a major confidence boost following recent injury setbacks.
Martinenghi, who had been disqualified in the semi-finals before being reinstated for the final, praised his own resilience after racing while ill. “That silver is like a gold for me,” he said. “I’ve got nothing inside me, I’ve got only my heart and my brain.”
The race did not feature Paris Olympic joint silver medallists Adam Peaty and Nic Fink. Peaty, who holds 14 of the fastest 100m breaststroke times in history, skipped the world championships, while American Fink is on a break.
Qin’s build-up to the Paris Games was marred by controversy after he was named among 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a prescription heart drug before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. No sanctions were issued after WADA accepted China’s claim of food contamination.
Reflecting on his journey, Qin said: “To win this gold medal is not something that’s easily said and done for me. It’s the result of hard work.”
