China's Wang Xizhe wins gold at world junior swimming championships

JERUSALEM -- China's 17-year-old talent Wang Xizhe on Saturday won a gold medal in the men's 200m butterfly on the closing day of the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel.

Wang clocked 1:56.22 while surprising Bulgarian favorite Petar Mitsin who led for most of the race but finished 0.51 seconds behind. Italian Alessandro Ragaini took the bronze.

Earlier in the evening, China's 16-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo won the bronze medal in the men's 1,500m freestyle, at 15:11.94.

Kuzey Tuncelli topped the event with 14:59.80, becoming the first-ever Turkish male to achieve two junior world swimming golds, three nights after winning the 800m. South Korea's Jun Woo took the silver in the 1,500m.

Wang and Zhang later were part of China's team getting a bronze medal in the 4x100m medley relay together with Jiang Chenglin and Ji Yicun, in a time of 3:39.81. It was Zhang's fifth medal and Wang's fourth in the competition.

The gold went to the United States, with Daniel Diehl, Joshua Chen, Jacob Wimberly, and Maximus Williamson setting 3:35.98, while Italy won the silver.

Williamson earlier won the men's 100m freestyle in 48.45 seconds, completing a double gold after winning the 200m medley on Tuesday, and reaching a total of six golds and one silver.

Italy's Lorenzo Ballarati came second in the 100 freestyle, while Australia's Edward Sommerville took the bronze.

Felix Iberle won Indonesia's only gold in the competition, finishing first in the men's 50m breaststroke in 27.39 seconds, while Ukraine's Oleksandr Zheltyakov won the men's 200m backstroke at 1:56.13.

In the women's competitions, Bosnian star Lana Pudar won the 100m butterfly, at 57.77 seconds, while Australia's Olivia Wunsch won the women's 50m freestyle with a championship record of 24.59 seconds.

Wunsch later dramatically won another gold in the 4x100m medley relay, with her teammates Jaclyn Barclay, Hayley Mackinder, and Isabella Boyd.

The United States finished first but was disqualified, leaving the gold to Australia, who clocked 4:00.86.

American Addison Sauickie won the women's 200m freestyle, at 1:58.09, while Canada's Alexanne Lepage won the women's 200m breaststroke, with 2:24.70.

The United States finished at the top of the medal table, with 15 golds, 11 silvers, and seven bronzes, ahead of Australia, who took nine golds, seven silvers, and eight bronzes. China finished with one gold, four silvers, and four bronzes.