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Benedetta Pilato, Yang Junxuan not entered to defend swimming world titles

Benedetta Pilato

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JUNE 19: Benedetta Pilato of Team Italy reacts after finishing first in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke Semi Final on day two of the Budapest 2022 FINA World Championships at Duna Arena on June 19, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

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Italian Benedetta Pilato and China’s Yang Junxuan are not preliminary entries in their 2022 gold-medal events at this month’s world swimming championships, but they are entered in other events.

Pilato, who won the 100m breaststroke in Budapest last year, is entered solely in the 50m breast for worlds that start July 23 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Italy entered Lisa Angiolini and Martina Carraro in the 100m breast. They went one-two at April’s nationals, where Pilato didn’t race the 100m breast.

Americans Lilly King and Lydia Jacoby, the last two Olympic gold medalists in the event, are the two fastest women this year among the world championships field.

Yang, who won the 200m freestyle last year in the absence of all three Tokyo Olympic medalists, is entered solely in the 100m free.

China entered Li Jiaping and Liu Yaxin in the 200m free, also omitting last year’s bronze medalist, Tang Muhan.

Yang ranks second among Chinese women in the 100m free this year and does not have a recorded 200m free time in 2023 on World Aquatics’ website.

Australian Mollie O’Callaghan, last year’s 100m free gold medalist and 200m free silver medalist, is the world’s fastest this year in the 200m free. She’s followed by Canadian Summer McIntosh and Australian Ariarne Titmus, the Olympic champion.

Athlete entries are considered final on July 22, the day before competition starts.