Abbie Wood Secures Stunning Bronze at World Aquatics Championships

Abbie Wood made a spectacular start to the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Budapest, securing a bronze medal in the women's 200m individual medley and setting a new British record. The 25-year-old swimmer completed the race in two minutes and 2.75 seconds, marking her first world short-course medal.

Wood faced fierce competition, particularly from the USA's Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh. Douglass took home the gold with a world record time of 2:01.63, while Walsh followed closely in second place with a time of 2:02.65. Despite leading at the halfway point, Wood was ultimately overtaken by the American duo.

Wood expressed her astonishment at her performance, stating, 'To get a two-second PB at this point in my career, I'm honestly so shocked with myself.' She also acknowledged the role of her competitors in pushing her limits, saying, '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 competition continues through Sunday, 15 December, with more thrilling races anticipated.