China's Qin wins men's 100m breaststroke gold at swimming worlds

FUKUOKA, Japan -- China's Qin Haiyang claimed the men's 100 meters breaststroke title at the World Aquatics Championships here on Monday.

The 24-year-old, who had already registered the world's top three time this season, clocked 57.69 seconds to become the first Chinese men's breaststroker to win a world title.

The winning time is also a new Asian record, 0.13 seconds faster than the one he set in Sunday's semifinals.

"I can do better," said Qin to the audience after his victory.

Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi, Dutchman Arno Kamminga and American veteran Nic Fink were all awarded a silver medal after clocking an identical time of 58.72 seconds.

Qin, competing in the 100m breaststroke for the first time in his four World Championships since 2017, is China's first swimming champion at the Fukuoka worlds, lifting the country's gold tally to 16.

He has also become China's fifth male world champion in swimming since Zhang Lin won the men's 800 meters freestyle at the 2009 Rome worlds.