FUKUOKA, Japan — One race. One medal.
This weekend, the 2023 World Aquatics Championships kicked off in Fukuoka, Japan. Notre Dame junior Chris Guiliano started Team USA off on an excellent foot. Guiliano was the third leg of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, and the team made up of Ryan Held, Jack Alexy, Guiliano and Matt King took third in the event to win a bronze medal for the Americans. Guiliano’s split was 47.77, and the team’s final time was 3:10.81.
In the initial heats of the event, Guiliano led off the relay with a 48.29 split. His best time is 47.98, which he posted at Phillips 66 National Championships in June. Team USA entered the final as the top seed (3:11.63) by just one one-hundredth of a second. Australia and Italy caught them in the final, earning gold and silver medals, respectively.
Guiliano will swim his sole individual event, the 100 freestyle on July 25 (July 26 in the United States). He may earn a spot on additional relays as well, but those have yet to be determined.
Incoming graduate transfer Abdelrahman Elaraby swam for his home nation of Egypt on Monday, taking eighth place in the men’s 50m butterfly with a time of 23.34. His semifinal time of 22.94 is a new Egyptian record.
The remaining competition schedule and full results for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships can be found here.