Diverse Nations Claim Gold at Open Swim Championships

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    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 menโ€™s 4ร—200 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 Australiaโ€™s 13.

    Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands clinched victory in the womenโ€™s 100-meter freestyle with an impressive final 50-meter push, completing the race in 52.55 seconds. Australian Mollie Oโ€™Callaghan claimed silver (52.67), while Torri Huske from the US earned bronze (52.89).
    Reflecting on her win, Steenbergen remarked, โ€œThis 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 menโ€™s 200 breaststroke, Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang triumphed with a time of 2:07.41, followed by Japanโ€™s 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 โ€œa miracle,โ€ having set the world record in Fukuoka, Japan, two years prior (2:05.48).
    Hungaryโ€™s Hubert Kรณs repeated his earlier success from the Paris Olympics, capturing gold in the menโ€™s 200 backstroke in 1:53.19. South Africaโ€™s Pieter Coetze secured silver (1:53.36), while Franceโ€™s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard took bronze (1:54.62).

    Another key highlight was American Kate Douglass obtaining her countryโ€™s 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 โ€œacute 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 menโ€™s 4ร—200 freestyle relay, Team Britain secured its first gold and medal with a time of 6:59.84. Chinaโ€™s 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, Australiaโ€™s Cameron McEvoy led the menโ€™s 50 free (21.30), and Switzerlandโ€™s Noรจ Ponti topped the menโ€™s 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 4ร—200-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, Yuโ€™s 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. โ€œHer talent is undeniable, but we must ensure responsible governance concerning age limits,โ€ Nowicki commented in Singapore.