Denis petrashov

World Short Course Championships: Qin Haiyang claimed the men's 100-meter breaststroke title on Monday, securing China's first swimming gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Qin, 26, touched the wall in 58.23 seconds, edging out Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi by 0.35 seconds. Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan took the bronze in 58.88.

Qin had stunned the swimming world at the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships, where he captured four gold medals, including three in breaststroke. However, he missed the 2024 Doha Worlds and left that year's Paris Olympic Games without an individual title, reports Xinhua.

"This definitely helps with confidence," Qin said. "Winning this gold isn't something that comes easily for me. It means a lot."