Shortly After Missing Podium, Michael Andrew Gets Back Hope at Doha World Championships

Team U.S.A. has been dominating the 2024 Doha World Aquatics Championship for the last week. American swimmers have prized a lot of gold, silver, and bronze, with Nic Fink and Claire Curzan being the leaders of the pack. And continuing the attempts to bolster the medal tally is Michael Andrew, who rocks back after a dismal show in the 50m freestyle.

The 7th day of the Swimming Worlds saw Claire Curzan complete the backstroke sweep with a gold in the women’s 200m backstroke finals while Andrew finished 4th in the men’s 50m freestyle finals. However, he has now made a strong comeback in the men’s 50m backstroke.

Michael Andrew rises back after missing the podium

America’s Michael Andrew roared back strongly to cement his place in the 50-meter backstroke finals scheduled for tomorrow, 18th February. He clocked 24.70s seconds to qualify for the gold pursuit. Andrew was the 7th fastest on the night as Issac Cooper blazed the 50 meters in 24.12 seconds while fellow American Hunter Armstrong finished 2nd in 24.43 seconds. While Armstrong recently won gold in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, Andrew is yet to get his hands on a medal in Doha this year.

Andrew finished 4th in the 50m freestyle finals in 21.71 seconds while Ukrainian swimmer Vladyslav Bulhov clocked 21.44 seconds to win the gold medal in a photo finish. The close contest saw Australia’s Cameron Mcevoy missing the ultimate prize by 0.01 seconds as he finished in 21.45 seconds for the silver. Following him was Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud, who clocked 21.53 seconds for the bronze win. With only a few events left now, it’s safe to say the 2024 Doha World Aquatic Championship hasn’t been good for Andrew. But for a moment, it looked like he would avenge his loss.

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The 24-year-old outpaced his fierce American rival Shaine Casas in the men’s 50m butterfly semifinal to advance to the finals. He clocked 22.94 seconds to finish first while Casas finished low in 7th position, clocking over a second more than Andrew. And, when the two again met in the final, the Olympic gold medalist finally got his hands on the medal.

READ MORE: Claire Curzan Waves US Flag High With Another World Championship Title in Doha 2024

Andrew finished 2nd in the finals to take a hard-earned silver medal home. The 24-year-old blazed the 50-meter distance of 23.07 seconds while Portugal’s Diogo Matos sealed gold in 22.97 seconds. While Andrew’s rival and fellow American finished 8th in 23.47 seconds, the World Champion has a chance to cap off his campaign with a gold tomorrow in the men’s 50m backstroke finals.

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