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≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
No doubt about the featured race on the first day of swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, and no doubt about Canada’s 18-year-old sensation Summer McIntosh, who stormed to a dominant win in the women’s 400 m Freestyle.
She had the lead from the start and by 100 m was 0.05 up on Australia’s Lani Pallister, with American star Katie Ledecky in third. At the half, McIntosh maintained the lead on Pallister and Ledecky, then Ledecky moved into second by the 250 mark, but could not close the gap.
McIntosh was up by 1.50 seconds at 350 m and cruised home in 3:56.26, the no. 5 performance in history. Meanwhile, China’s Bingjie Li, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalist in this event, stormed from fourth to second to touch in 3:58.21, an Asian Record and now no. 4 all-time in the event.
Ledecky followed in 3:58.49 and then Pallister in 3:58.87, the fastest race in history and only the second time that four women have broken four minutes in the same race.
This was not, of course, the only race of the day, and McIntosh wasn’t finished:
● Men/400 m Freestyle: World-record holder Lukas Martens (GER) trailed 2023 World Champion Sam Short (AUS) for most of the second half of the race, but had more speed in the final 50 m and touched first in 3:42.35 to Short’s 3:42.37. Korea’s Woo-min Kim won a battle with Victor Johansson (SWE) for third: 3:42.60 to 3:42.88.
● Women/4×100 m Freestyle: Australia and the U.S. were expected to duel here and they did, but with the Australians in front the whole way, starting with two-time 100 m Free World Champion Mollie O’Callaghan in 52.79, followed by Meg Harris (51.87), Milla Jansen (52.89) and Olivia Wunsch (53.05), finishing in 3:30.60. It’s the no. 8 performance ever.
The U.S. was a clear second, with Rio 2016 100 Free co-champ Simone Manuel (53.09), then Kate Douglass (51.90), Erin Gemmell (53.17) and Torri Huske (52.88) for a 3:31.04 total. That’s the third-fastest performance in American history, and no. 14 all-time.
The Netherlands was a distant third at 3:33.8.
● Men/4×100 m Freestyle: The U.S. was in front from the start, with Jack Alexy (47.24), Patrick Sammon (47.03) and Chris Guiliano (47.43), but no one had an answer for Rio 2026 100 m Free gold medalist Kyle Chalmers, now 27, who blasted a 46.53 split on anchor to bring Australia from third to first at the touch in 3:08.97, a national record and equal-third all-time.
With Jonny Kulow (47.94) swimming last for the U.S., Italy also rode a hot anchor in Manuel Frigo (47.34) to claim the silver in 3:09.58 (no. 10 performance ever) to 3:09.64 for the Americans (no. 11).
It’s the third straight Worlds in which the U.S. men have been third in this race, after winning three in a row from 2017-22.
There were also semifinals in four events:
● Men/100 m Breast: China’s Haiyang Qin, the 2023 World Champion, led the semifinalists at 58.24, fastest in the world in 2025, to win semi two, ahead of Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA: 58.62) and Ludovico Viberti (ITA: 58.89). American Josh Matheny was second in semi one in 59.15 and advanced as no. 5 overall.
● Men/50 m Butterfly: France’s Maxime Grousset, the 2023 World Champion in the 100 Fly, led the semifinals with a win in the second race at 22.61, just ahead of 2024 short-course champ Noe Ponti (SUI: 22.72, the semi one winner.
Americans Dare Rose (23.02) and Michael Andrew (23.23) finished 12th and 16th and did not qualify for the final.
● Women/100 m Butterfly: World-record holder Gretchen Walsh of the U.S. tied with Roos Vanotterdijk (NED) for the win in semi two at 56.07 and they co-led all qualifiers for the final. Australian Alex Perkins won semi one in 56.19.
● Women/200 m Medley: Only a half-hour after her win in the 400 Free, McIntosh was back in the pool for the Medley semis and won semi one in 2:07.39 – she’s already the world leader at 2:05.70 – and was easily the top qualifier.
American Alex Walsh, the 2022 World Champion and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, won semi two in 2:08.49. Teammate Phoebe Bacon was seventh in semi one (2:11.53) and did not advance to the final.
The swimming continues through the week; television coverage in the U.S. is only on the Peacock streaming service.
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