McIntosh Secures Fourth Gold in Singapore

At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships held in Singapore, Olympic champions Summer McIntosh and Leon Marchand made headlines with their stellar performances in the 400m individual medley events. McIntosh, an 18-year-old prodigy, clinched her fourth gold medal of the week with a championship record time of 4 minutes 25.78 seconds, outpacing silver medallist Jenna Forrester by over seven seconds.

Marchand's Comeback Victory

Leon Marchand, despite a sluggish performance in the heats, recovered brilliantly to win gold in the men's 400m medley with a time of 4:04.73, nearly four seconds ahead of Tomoyuki Matsushita. Earlier in the week, Marchand had set a new world record in the men's 200m individual medley, solidifying his status as a top contender for the upcoming Paris Games.

Team USA Sets New Relay Record

The USA women's 4x100m medley relay team set a new world record with a time of 3:49.34, showcasing their dominance in the pool. Meanwhile, Great Britain faced a challenging week, securing only five medals, including a gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay.

Emerging Talents and Future Prospects

Chris Spice, Aquatics GB performance director, remains optimistic about the future, highlighting the potential of the young team and the promising juniors. "We've got the best crop of juniors we've had in the last four or five years," Spice noted, expressing hope for better results as the team matures towards the 2028 LA Olympic Games.

Notable Performances

• Ahmed Jaouadi (Tunisia) won gold in the men's 1500m freestyle, adding to his earlier triumph in the 800m freestyle.
• Meg Harris (Australia) secured gold in the women's 50m freestyle.
• Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) retained her title in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 29.55 seconds.
• Kliment Kolesnikov (Russia) won the men's 50m backstroke, though he fell short of his own world record.

Diving Highlights

In the final diving event, Cassiel Rousseau of Australia took gold in the men's 10m platform, while Britain's Robbie Lee finished 12th.

Conclusion

The 2025 World Aquatics Championships have set the stage for an exciting future in swimming, with emerging talents and seasoned athletes pushing the boundaries of the sport. As the world looks forward to the Paris Games, the performances in Singapore have undoubtedly raised the bar for what's to come.