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 US 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 america’ Erin Gemmell surged forward at a price of knots, however Castelluzzo mowed the American down within the closing 50 metres to make sure O’Callaghan began her anchor leg with the crew main.
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Mollie O’Callaghan is greeted by her relay teammates after finishing the anchor leg. Getty
O’Callaghan was up in opposition to 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 crew.
This was a crew 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 known as time on her embellished 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 crammed her with pleasure.
“Properly executed, Workforce 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 closing [on a senior Dolphins team], and we’re nonetheless on prime of the world.”
O’Callaghan won the 200m freestyle final on Wednesday night 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 return.
“It is every part to me,” O’Callaghan stated of successful one other relay gold medal in an interview on 9.
“I take any alternative to return and do that occasion.
“I knew I needed to carry for this. I am at all times right here for the relays.
“It is an amazing privilege as a result of it exhibits the depth that we now have. It simply exhibits the depth coming via to LA [the 2028 Olympics], and to begin off like that is simply unimaginable.”
And what does it imply to O’Callaghan to be sharing that document with Thorpe?
Australia’s relay golden women rejoice their triumph. Getty
“I do know this has been the recent subject of the week,” the Queenslander laughed.
“Truly, I have never actually considered 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 return alongside right here and to compete within the finals [and] to get golds is simply one thing I would not consider 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 famous person David Popovici clinched gold in 46.51 — a European and world championship document — as American Jack Alexy claimed silver in 46.92.
Pan Zhanle, the Chinese language sensation who won gold in the event at the Paris Olympics and broke the world record 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 time McIntosh saved alive her incredible pursuit to win five individual gold medals at these world titles by triumphing within the ladies’s 200m butterfly, which she received with a world championship document of two:01.99.
McIntosh completed simply 0.18 of a second exterior the world document — 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 develop into simply the second swimmer in historical past to say 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 attain the outstanding 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 time McIntosh and bronze medallist Elizabeth Dekker. Getty
