SINGAPORE โ On Friday, the swimming world championships saw a diverse distribution of gold medals as standout athletes Lรฉon Marchand from France and Summer McIntosh from Canada did not participate in any Day 6 finals in Singapore.
Marchand, known for his world-record-breaking performance in the 200-meter individual medley, is preparing to set a new record in the 400 IM, with the attempt scheduled for Sunday, the championshipsโ final day.
Meanwhile, McIntosh, who has already achieved three individual golds, is aiming to secure two more over the weekend, aspiring to become only the second swimmer, following in Michael Phelpsโ footsteps, to claim five individual golds at the world championships.
A major event awaits on Saturday as McIntosh is set to compete in the 800-meter freestyle, a race that she and Katie Ledecky from the United States are favorites to win. Ledecky currently holds the world record in this category.
On Friday, several nations, including the Netherlands, China, Hungary, and the United States, each obtained gold medals, showcasing a fair distribution across the championship events. The United Kingdom celebrated its first gold and overall medal in Singapore, clinching victory in the menโs 4ร200 relay.
As it stands after six days of competition, the United States and Australia are tied at the top of the gold-medal chart, each country securing five golds. However, the US leads in the total medal count with 20, ahead of Australiaโs 13.
Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands clinched victory in the womenโs 100-meter freestyle with an impressive final 50-meter push, completing the race in 52.55 seconds. Australian Mollie OโCallaghan claimed silver (52.67), while Torri Huske from the US earned bronze (52.89).
Reflecting on her win, Steenbergen remarked, โThis feels absolutely surreal. Winning previously in Doha was incredible, but succeeding in such a competitive field makes this moment even more unbelievable.โ This achievement marked the first gold for the Netherlands in Singapore.
In the menโs 200 breaststroke, Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang triumphed with a time of 2:07.41, followed by Japanโs Ippei Watanabe who secured silver (2:07.70), and Caspar Corbeau from the Netherlands taking bronze (2:07.73). Haiyang, a lane-8 competitor, described his victory from such an outer position as โa miracle,โ having set the world record in Fukuoka, Japan, two years prior (2:05.48).
Hungaryโs Hubert Kรณs repeated his earlier success from the Paris Olympics, capturing gold in the menโs 200 backstroke in 1:53.19. South Africaโs Pieter Coetze secured silver (1:53.36), while Franceโs Yohann Ndoye-Brouard took bronze (1:54.62).
Another key highlight was American Kate Douglass obtaining her countryโs fifth individual gold at the championships, delivering a performance in the 200 breaststroke in 2:18.50, the second-fastest time in history. The silver went to Evgeniia Chikunova representing the Neutral Athletes (2:19.96), with Kaylene Corbett of South Africa and Alina Zmushka of the Neutral Athletes sharing bronze (2:23.52).
Despite health hurdles, as numerous US team members battled โacute gastroenteritisโ contracted at their training venue in Thailand, they have continued to maintain competitiveness. Coach Greg Meehan reported that the condition impacted the majority of the team.
In the menโs 4ร200 freestyle relay, Team Britain secured its first gold and medal with a time of 6:59.84. Chinaโs team took silver with 7:00.91, just ahead of Australia with 7:00.98. The United States followed in fourth place at 7:01.24.
In semifinal developments, Australiaโs Cameron McEvoy led the menโs 50 free (21.30), and Switzerlandโs Noรจ Ponti topped the menโs 100-meter butterfly qualifiers with 50.18. For the women, Gretchen Walsh from the US was the fastest in the 50 fly (25.09), while Peng Xuwei of China led the 200 backstroke qualifiers (2:07.76).
An unexpected standout at these championships has been 12-year-old Yu Zidi from China, who earned a bronze by helping her team achieve third place in the 4ร200-meter freestyle relay during the preliminaries. Although she did not participate in the final, Yu secured her medal as a contributing team member.
Despite narrowly missing the podium for individual events, placing fourth in both the 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley, Yuโs remaining event, the 400 IM, offers another potential opportunity.
Brent Nowicki, executive director of World Aquatics, announced plans to review age-limit regulations, currently set at 14, to determine if adjustments are needed moving forward. Rules allow younger athletes entry if they meet challenging time standards. โHer talent is undeniable, but we must ensure responsible governance concerning age limits,โ Nowicki commented in Singapore.