Recap of 2025 Worlds in North America: Jack Alexy Places Third in 100 Free with 46-Second Swim

By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam

2025 World Championships

• July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
• Singapore, Singapore
• World Aquatics Championships Arena
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• How To Watch
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

North America had a big day seven, putting at least one athlete/team on the podium in all six event finals. One of the biggest stories out of the day, was the American team setting a new World Record in the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay. Leading off that relay, Jack Alexy split 46.91, his 3rd sub-47 swim of the meet and his 4th in the last two months.

Before last month, Alexy had never been 46 in the 100 free. He came into the United States Nationals at the beginning of June at 47.08 from the 2024 Olympic Trials, which was the U.S. Open record at the time and the 14th fastest time in history.

He struggled a little bit at the Olympic Games the next month, swimming his fastest time in the prelims of the event at 47.54. In finals, he swam 47.96 to finish 7th overall. He also led off the men’s 400 freestyle relay in 47.67, six tenths off of his Trials time.

It has been a completely different story this year. At the 2024 Trials, he broke his own U.S. open record and swam his first 46, stopping the clock in 46.99 to become the sixth swimmer to ever break 47 seconds.

At these World Championships he has been a bright spot on the American men’s team, and in the 100 freestyle semifinals, he had an exceptional swim of 46.81 to break the American record and become the 3rd fastest performer in history. In the finals, he turned around and swam another 46, touching in 46.92 to win the silver medal.

Last night, he started the meet with a bronze medal in the men’s 50 freestyle, swimming 21.46. He then led off the American mixed relay team in 46.91 to become the first swimmer to break the 47 second barrier three times in the same meet.

David Popovici and Pan Zhanle have both done it twice in a meet. Popovici broke 47 twice at the 2022 European Championships, swimming 46.86 and 46.98 and at this year’s Worlds, swimming 46.84 and 46.71. Pan accomplished the feat at last summer’s Olympic Games, swimming 46.92 and 46.40.

Alexy also becomes the most consistent 46 swimmer in history. When he swam 46.81 in the event semifinals, he joined only Pan and Popovici in the club of swimmers who have broken 47 multiple times. Popovici first did it back in 2022 at the aforementioned European Championships, and after swimming two 46s there, it took him nearly two years to get back under the mark, and coming into these championships, nearly three years later, he had only done it four times.

Pan has a slightly shorter timeline, having swum his first 46 in 2023 at the 2023 Asian Games. He followed up that performance with four more 46-second swims over a six month span last year.

Alexy just picked up his fourth swim in two months.

He was not the only impressive swimmer on the relay. Patrick Sammon split a blistering 46.70, his first sub-47 split of his career in the 2nd spot and Kate Douglass was 3rd in 52.43.

After a difficult week that saw her scratch the 100 fly entirely and a few difficult relay swims, Torri Huske anchored the relay in 52.44 to bring the team home less than four tenths under the previous World Record.

This is the 3rd long course relay World Record the United States has set in the last year and Huske featured as the anchor leg on on all three relays. On August 3rd 2024, the Americans broke the mixed medley relay record in 3:37.43, which Huske anchored in 51.88. On August 4th 2024, the women broke their medley relay record in 3:49.63, and Huske anchored in 52.42, and then last night she swam the leg again to pick up her 3rd world record.

After the race, Huske said “I gave it everything I had. They set me up really well, and I was just praying that I didn’t mess it up. But I felt supinspired watching katie earlier and that got me going.”

Other North America Medals from Day 7

• Gretchen Walsh (United States) won the women’s 50 butterfly in 24.83, coming in as the only swimmer under 25 seconds, touching almost half-a-second ahead of Australia’s Alexandria Perkins‘s 25.31.
• Regan Smith (United States) finished 2nd in the 200 backstroke to pick up her 4th individual silver medal of the meet, touching in 2:04.29, almost a second behind Australia’s Kaylee McKeown
• Claire Curzan (United States) took the bronze medal in the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:06.04, more than a second ahead of 4th place.
• Ilya Kharun (Canada) earned the bronze in the men’s 100 butterfly, touching in 50.07 to touch just two-hundredths ahead of Canadian teammate Josh Liendo‘s 50.09 for 4th.
• Katie Ledecky (United States) won her 7th World Championship title in the women’s 800 freestyle. Holding off challengers from Canada and Australia, she finished in a new championship record time of 8:05.62, her 3rd fastest swim ever.
• Summer McIntosh (Canada) finished 3rd in the thrilling 800 freestyle final. Her time of 8:07.29 was her 2nd best time ever after her 8:05.07 from Canadian Trials.

Other semifinals/finals swims

• Santo Condorelli (United States) finished 8th in the final of the 50 freestyle with his time of 21.73.
• Lilly King (United States) finished 4th in the women’s 50 breaststroke semifinal to qualify for tomorrow’s event final with her 30.22. Tomorrow’s race will be her final individual swim of her professional career.
• Gretchen Walsh (United States) tied with Australia’s Meg Harris for the 3rd seed for tomorrow’s 50 freestyle final, touching in 24.31.
• Torri Huske (United States) finished 7th in the 50 free semifinals, earning a lane in the final at 24.41.
• Taylor Ruck (Canada) was 10th in the women’s 50 freestyle semifinal, touching in 24.53
• Quintin McCarty (United States) became the first American man to earn a spot in a backstroke final at these World Championships, swimming 24.52 in the semifinal to qualify 7th.
• Canada’s 4×100 mixed freestyle relay was 6th, touching in 3:23.16 with the team of Ruslan Gaziev (48.43), Josh Liendo (47.64), Mary-Sophie Harvey (53.46), and Taylor Ruck (53.63)

North America Medal Table

Medal Table Through Day Seven of 2025 World Championships

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