Mollie O’Callaghan anchored Australia to glory within the ladies’s 4x200m freestyle relay on Thursday night time and in doing so received a record-equalling eleventh long-course world championship gold medal.
The one different Australian who owns 11 long-course world championship gold medals is Ian Thorpe.
An Australian quartet that includes Lani Pallister, Jamie Perkins, Brittany Castelluzzo and O’Callaghan, who swam in that order, seized gold on the swimming world championships in Singapore with a time of seven minutes, 39.35 seconds (7:39.35).
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The USA picked up silver in 7:40.01 as China claimed bronze in 7:42.99.
Essential to Australia’s win was a gutsy third leg by Castelluzzo. Australia was positioned second when the Adelaide product started her leg, and he or she discovered herself trailing by greater than a full physique size as the US’ Erin Gemmell surged forward at a price of knots, however Castelluzzo mowed the American down within the last 50 metres to make sure O’Callaghan began her anchor leg with the workforce main.
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Mollie O’Callaghan is greeted by her relay teammates after finishing the anchor leg. Getty
O’Callaghan was up towards the best feminine swimmer of all time, American icon Katie Ledecky. The champion from Logan started her swim with a bonus of 0.39 of a second, and though it was clear she was drained having already swum her 100m freestyle warmth and semi-final earlier within the day, she held off the legendary American to make sure victory for what was a new-look workforce.
This was a workforce lacking Ariarne Titmus and Brianna Throssell, each of whom featured in Australia’s 4x200m freestyle triumphs on the Paris 2024 Olympics and the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka. Throssell referred to as time on her adorned profession after the Paris Video games, whereas Titmus is having a 12-month break post-Olympics.
Gold medallists Lani Pallister, Jamie Perkins, Brittany Castelluzzo and Mollie O’Callaghan. Getty
Titmus commentated on Thursday night time’s relay win, sharing her astute ideas because the Dolphins within the pool stuffed her with pleasure.
“Effectively executed, Staff Australia,” Titmus stated on the 9 protection as O’Callaghan closed out victory.
“Two ladies in that race which have by no means swum in a relay last [on a senior Dolphins team], and we’re nonetheless on high of the world.”
O’Callaghan received the 200m freestyle last on Wednesday night time to attract degree with Grant Hackett on 10 long-course world championship gold medals, earlier than surpassing Hackett and matching Thorpe on Thursday night time.
Mollie O’Callaghan and Katie Ledecky pictured after the relay race. Getty
The 21-year-old has now received three gold medals at these world titles — in the 4x100m freestyle relay, the 200m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay — and will but add to her stash this week with the 100m freestyle and extra relays to come back.
“It is every little thing to me,” O’Callaghan stated of successful one other relay gold medal in an interview on 9.
“I take any alternative to come back and do that occasion.
“I knew I needed to elevate for this. I am at all times right here for the relays.
“It is an excellent privilege as a result of it exhibits the depth that we have now. It simply exhibits the depth coming by to LA [the 2028 Olympics], and to start out off like that is simply unimaginable.”
And what does it imply to O’Callaghan to be sharing that report with Thorpe?
Australia’s relay golden ladies have fun their triumph. Getty
“I do know this has been the recent matter of the week,” the Queenslander laughed.
“Truly, I have not actually thought of it an excessive amount of.
“Coming off [the] Olympics final yr and having the downs of the break and the post-Olympics blues after which injuring myself, it is simply been a rollercoaster.
“And to come back alongside right here and to compete within the finals [and] to get golds is simply one thing I would not imagine at the beginning of the yr, or final yr.”
Bronze for Chalmers
Earlier within the night time, Kyle Chalmers secured bronze within the males’s 100m freestyle with a time of 47.17 seconds.
Romanian celebrity David Popovici clinched gold in 46.51 — a European and world championship report — as American Jack Alexy claimed silver in 46.92.
Pan Zhanle, the Chinese language sensation who received gold within the occasion on the Paris Olympics and broke the world report in doing so, crashed out within the semi-finals in Singapore.
McIntosh retains astonishing bid alive
In the meantime, 18-year-old Canadian sensation Summer season McIntosh saved alive her unimaginable pursuit to win 5 particular person gold medals at these world titles by triumphing within the ladies’s 200m butterfly, which she received with a world championship report of two:01.99.
McIntosh completed simply 0.18 of a second outdoors the world report — the two:01.81 set by China’s Zige Liu in 2009 through the controversial “tremendous swimsuit” period.
McIntosh should now win the 800m freestyle and the 400m particular person medley if she is to turn into simply the second swimmer in historical past to assert 5 solo gold medals at a single long-course world championships.
She should overcome Ledecky within the 800m freestyle, the American legend’s pet occasion, to realize the exceptional feat.
Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers netted bronze within the 200m butterfly in 2:06.12.
Silver was received by American Regan Smith in 2:04.99.
From left to proper: Silver medallist Regan Smith, gold medallist Summer season McIntosh and bronze medallist Elizabeth Dekker. Getty
