New world record holder Pan fastest in 100m freestyle heats

Pan Zhanle, China's newly minted world record holder, led qualifying for the men's 100 metres freestyle semi-finals at the Doha World Championships on Wednesday, while Olympic medalist Jeremy Desplanches was fastest in the 200m medley heats.

Pan clocked 47.82 seconds in the morning session at the Aspire Dome pool, just over a second off the world record (46.80) he set on Sunday with his stunning lead-off swim in China's winning relay.

It was a quick recovery for 19-year-old Pan after his unexpected exit from the 200m freestyle heats on Monday, an event in which he was expected to compete for medals.

Alessandro Miressi of Italy qualified second in the 100m freestyle in 47.94 seconds, while Briton Matt Richards, the 200m freestyle world champion in Fukuoka last year, was fourth fastest.

Pan is in prime position to win his first individual world title, as world champion Kyle Chalmers, as well as Fukuoka minor medalists Jack Alexy and Maxime Grousset, are missing the event.

Desplanches, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, qualified first for the men's 200m individual medley semi-finals in one minute and 58.17 seconds.

Though France's 200m and 400m medley world champion, Leon Marchand, is not in Doha, Fukuoka silver medalist Duncan Scott is, and he eased into the 200m semi-finals with the eighth fastest swim.

Scott later helped Britain qualify first for the mixed medley relay final, ahead of second-placed Australia and third-placed USA.

Helena Bach of Denmark led the women's 200m butterfly in 2:09.21 in front of a small field.

Siobhan Haughey, a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, will compete for her first world title in the women's 200m freestyle final later on Wednesday evening, while Japan's Tomoru Honda, a Tokyo runner-up, will swim for the men's 200m butterfly title.

SportsLigue