Abbie Wood Secures World Medley Bronze, Sets British Record

Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass had previously prevented Abbie Wood from securing a medal at the 2020 Olympics, and Wood also placed fifth at Paris 2024. Abbie Wood established a new British record while earning a bronze medal on the initial evening of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships held in Budapest. The 25-year-old swimmer secured her inaugural world short-course medal in the women’s 200m individual medley, clocking a time of two minutes 2.75 seconds. Kate Douglass of the USA achieved the gold medal, setting a world record with a time of 2:01.63, while her team-mate Alex Walsh finished second in 2:02.65. Wood entered the competition with a personal best time of 2:04.77 and had qualified in the fastest position with 2:05.16; however, despite holding the lead midway through the final, the American pair ultimately triumphed. “To get a two-second PB at this my point in my career, I’m honestly so shocked with myself,” stated the European short-course champion. She added, “Kate doing a world record alongside me obviously pushed me on, but that felt really good to be back racing in a world-class field.” The championships are scheduled to continue until Sunday, 15 December.