'100 percent focused'

Qin was never challenged in the 100 breaststroke and finished in 57.69. Three men tied for second in 58.72: Nic Fink of the United States, Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy and Arno Kamming of the Netherlands.

"Everything just went the way I was thinking," Qin said. "And also this is just a start for me. I'm hoping for three golds."

"That is a pretty good time. That is my best time. But I can do better. I will catch up to the world record," Qin said of Adam Peaty's 56.88 mark set at the worlds in 2019.

"I was 100 percent focused on my swim, because I thought if I did my best I could get the gold," Qin added.

"Every little detail, every stroke, every turn I was concentrated."

Qin will also go in the 50 and 200.In the 200, he'll be up against rising French star Leon Marchand, who obliterated Michael Phelps' 400 individual medley record on Sunday, and Zac Stubblety-Cook — the world and Olympic champion and world-record holder from Australia. His world record is 2:05.95.

The men's 100 breaststroke was partly defined by who did not compete. Peaty, a two-time Olympic champion and world-record holder from Britain, is taking a break and is not swimming in Japan. He has said in interviews that he's taking time away for "mental-health issues". The 28-year-old said he has been in a "self-destructive spiral" and has spoken previously about periods of depression and problems with alcohol.

Peaty is one of the most dominant swimmers in his discipline and holds 19 of the top 20 times in the 100 breaststroke.

The absence of defending champion Caeleb Dressel from the men's 50 butterfly opened the door for Thomas Ceccon who touched in 22.68 to win Italy's first gold of the meet to loud cheers at a packed Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall.

"I had the 100 backstroke (semis)20 minutes ago so it was really hard for me mentally and physically," said Ceccon, who is the reigning champion in that event too.

"But I did it and I'm super happy with that."

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Dressel, who also claimed gold at the 2019 Gwangju worlds, failed to qualify for Fukuoka after disappointing displays at the US national championships.

The American pair of Kate Douglas and Alex Walsh, college teammates at the University of Virginia, later went 1-2 in the 200 IM with Yu Yiting of China taking bronze. It was the Americans' first gold.

"That was a huge honor for me to do it tonight," said Douglass, who overtook Walsh in the final freestyle leg to finish in 2:07.17.

"I really just wanted to get the gold for Team USA tonight, and I'm so happy I did that."

Walsh finished in 2:07.97 and Yu in 2:08.74.

Agencies