World University Games: U.S. Eyeing Possible Sweep to Finish Competition
The United States’ team at the 2025 World University Games has delivered on its promise. Twenty gold medals and 37 total through six days at the Europe SportPark Aquatics Centre in Berlin is an impressive return.
But after a stellar final set of prelims, the U.S. could run the table on the final nine events (seven individual and two relays) to cap the event.
Details from the final day of competition:
Men’s 200 backstroke
First one down, with the only real question which American would get to the top of the podium. Daniel Diehl was looking for a gold to end the meet after two backstroke bronzes, while David King entered as the top seed.
Diehl got the job done, though with only .09 seconds to spare over his fellow American. Diehl went 1:55.91, leading at each wall but holding off the field coming home. King, who adds individual silver to three relay gold medals, was second in 1:56.00.
Diehl was first at each wall. His 30.14 on the final 50 was only the fifth-fastest in the race. King came back in 29.89, nearly getting him at the touch.
The fastest final 50 belonged to France’s Mathys Chouchaoui, who came home in 29.48 to vault from fifth to bronze in 1:58.08. Aleksei Tkachev of the Independent Neutral Athletes was fourth, with Australia’s Stuart Swinburn fifth. Diehl was the only medalist from the two shorter backstroke events to make this final in a sprint-heavy backstroke delegation.
Women’s 100 breaststroke
Emma Weber finished the 50-100 double, her time of 1:07.09 taking home gold for the U.S. The Paris Olympian was second at the turn, but she came back in 35.63, the fastest in the field.
She was .48 seconds ahead of Poland’s Barbara Mazurkiewicz, who went from fifth to the silver medal in the final 50 in 1:07.57. She was the bronze medalist in the 50. Shona Branton grabbed just the second medal of the meet for Canada in bronze in 1:07.75.
For Weber, it’s slightly slower than the 1:06.55 she tuned in at U.S. Trials in June.
Fourth was Aliz Kalmar of Hungary in 1:08.10. The leader at 50 meters, South Africa’s Lara Van Niekerk, faded to sixth in 1:08.30. She had won silver in the 50. Yuyumi Obatake of Japan, who won silver in the 200, finished eighth.
Men’s 50 freestyle
Make it three for the U.S, and make it four golds for Matt King at this meet. King blasted the field with a stellar time of 21.84 seconds. He completed the 50/100 double to go with two relay golds (and counting).
King bested Italy’s Giovanni Guatti, who went 22.01 in a massive best time out of Lane 7. Jokubas Keblys of Lithuania grabbed bronze in 22.02, the country’s first medal at these games. Ukraine’s Illia Linnyk was fourth in 22.10. The other American, Daniel Baltes, finished in a tie for fifth with the other Italian, Andrea Candela, in 22.17.
Women’s 200 butterfly
When Tess Howley went 2:05.20 in Tuesday’s semifinals, the only question was by how much she would win this event. The answer is just over two seconds.
Howley didn’t quit match her semis speed, but she was head and shoulders above the field, going 2:05.69 to win gold by 2.10 seconds over teammate Lindsay Looney. Howley was ahead at every wall to make quick work of the field in a breakout meet for her in this event of international weakness.
Looney was second in 2:07.79. She and Italy’s Paola Borrelli dueled the entire way, but Looney had enough to hold her off by .21 seconds, Borelli getting bronze in 2:08.00. Yu Liyan of China was fourth in 2:08.73.
Women’s 50 freestyle
The 50 free turned into an All-American battle, with Maxine Parker pulling a slight upset on top seed Julia Dennis by .04 seconds. Parker went 24.54 to get to the wall first. Parker gave a scare to her best time, which was 24.41 at U.S. Trials in June. She was also .01 quicker than Dennis’ time from semifinals that made her the top seed.
Dennis was second in 24.58. The 24.55 in semis was a best time.
The gold is the fifth of the World University Games for Parker, who got bronze in the 100 free. Dennis has two relay golds.
South Africa’s Olivia Nel finished third in 24.82. She was .02 ahead of Viola Scotto Di Carlo of Italy for bronze. Agata Ambler finished fifth for Italy.
Women’s 400 freestyle
Men’s 400 individual medley
Women’s 400 medley relay
Men’s 400 medley relay
