O'Callaghan matches Thorpe as Australia wins more relay gold over USA
O'Callaghan, fresh from victory in the individual 200m freestyle, held her nerve against Ledecky – the Olympic champion in this event in 2016 – to secure her 11th world title and draw level with Thorpe.
'Without the profanities, I was pretty much saying to Mollie on the blocks, 'Do you know who you are?'' Pallister said. 'Even in my mind, as soon as Mollie dives in, I know we'd won it. I have so much confidence in her.
'Brit swimming as fast as she did, and Jamie as well ... I think it shows the depth that we've got going into LA.'
Typically humble, O'Callaghan tried to downplay the milestone, but acknowledged its significance after moving past Grant Hackett's tally of 10 golds.
O'Callaghan, who is building a compelling case to be considered Australia's greatest ever swimmer, could win a 12th gold medal on Friday night in the 100m freestyle after cruising through her semi-final.
'It is very special. It would be wrong if I said it wasn't special. It is a huge accomplishment in a way,' O'Callaghan said of comparisons to Thorpe.
'It just shows the journey that I've had and us girls have had. I've got great girls to train alongside and they keep me on my toes.'
Chalmers 'extremely proud' of bronze in freestyle final
Meanwhile, Chalmers and Dekkers' bronze medals were unique in their own way.
Chalmers, for a start, never comes third. This was his first individual bronze medal during a decade-long career.
A year after his silver medal in Paris, Chalmers (47.17) just couldn't match it with Romania's David Popovici (46.51) and USA national record holder Jack Alexy (46.92).
The ingredients were there for Chalmers to do something special given the sharp times he's been clocking but Cameron McEvoy's Australian record of 47.04 from 2016 remains intact.
'I was never going to swim 46.5 or around that mark unfortunately,' Chalmers said. 'I would have loved to see 46 next to my name, but I'm really proud of that performance and to come away with a medal in such a stacked final is something I'm extremely proud of.'
Popovici's winning time was just 0.11 seconds outside Pan Zhanle's world record, set in Paris last year.
Asked what was next, the 20-year-old said: 'To have a big holiday, go on the beach, lay on my back, celebrate accordingly, have some fun, get my motorcycle licence, learn to cook, drive my fast car and enjoy life a little because it's not all about swimming.'
Dekkers' bronze, meanwhile, was a surprise given she finished third in the event at trials and Australia only take the top two.
When Abbey Connor pulled out, Dekkers was given a second shot and didn't disappoint, backing up her silver medal from the world championships two years ago after minimal training in recent months.
'It was definitely tough. I was on break and getting ready to not race for six months or so,' Dekkers said. 'But at the end of the day, this wasn't an opportunity I was going to pass up. The world champs don't come around all that often, so I just got up and got ready and just put no expectations on it.'
Canada's Summer McIntosh won the 200m butterfly and cursed at herself for not breaking the world record, while France's Leon Marchand took out the 200m individual medley in a time of 1:53.68, but it wasn't another world record.
With his favoured 400m IM still to come, Marchand appears to be keeping something in reserve as he eyes a historic sub-four-minute swim.
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As for the Americans? Four gold medals in five nights is a bad return by their high standards.
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Perth Now
20 minutes ago
- Perth Now
The dream lives on for Australian swim champ
Cam McEvoy, now an Olympic and world champion, doesn't know when he'll swim again. "But I'm not stopping," McEvoy said. "Imagine telling myself in 2022 this is where I'd be - you couldn't write a script like that. "The dream lives on, right? My story just goes for a while." McEvoy almost quit the sport in 2022. After much soul-searching he continued, vowed to do things his way, and created his own revolutionary training regime. Now, he's the Olympic and world champion in the 50m freestyle. In Singapore on Saturday night, the 31-year-old became Australia's oldest gold medallist at a world championships - three weeks after becoming a dad for the first time. "Shoutout to (wife) Maddi at home, I couldn't be here without her; shoutout to Hartley, my three-week-old son," he said. "I'm going straight to the newborn trenches. "I'll start to do the night routines, help Maddi, and just enjoy the bubble, really. "It sounds cliche, but win or lose, I'm going home a winner. "It has given me a new light on the sport, on life, something new to navigate. "And I'll see where it takes me in the future." McEvoy's latest success came as Kaylee McKeown captured another gold on Saturday night, in the women's 200m backstroke. McKeown has now completed 100-200 backstroke golden doubles at her past two world championships, and also at last year's Olympics. "I wasn't feeling too great heading in, a bit of illness and stuff going around, dealing with a bit of a shoulder (injury)," said McKeown, who dislocated a shoulder leading into the titles. "I dug really deep." Australia's Lani Pallister (women's 800m freestyle) and Alexandria Perkins (women's 50m butterfly) also collected silver on Saturday night. Australia, with seven gold, four silver and six bronze medals, enter Sunday's final night of competition behind only the United States (seven, 11, seven) on the medal tally.
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Swan stakes All-Australian claim in win over Bombers
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With Nick Blakey (28 disposals, 678m gained) controlling play from the back half, and Gulden (30 disposals, 575m gained) and Isaac Heeney (28 disposals, 14 contested) dominant through the middle, the Swans never looked like losing. Sydney lacked an obvious focal point in attack, with Joel Amartey, Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean on the sidelines, but found goals through Braeden Campbell and Justin McInerney, who kicked two each. Jack Buller's classy drop punt goal from a set shot on the boundary was a rare highlight on a scrappy day where the two sides combined for 26 behinds and only 16 goals. Livewire Tom Papley managed just one goal and was well-held by first-gamer Jayden Nguyen, Essendon's 14th debutant for 2025. Essendon battled hard around the contest throughout, finishing with just eight fewer contested possessions, six more tackles and four more clearances than the Swans. But the gap in class was clear when it came to ball use. The Swans had 115 more uncontested disposals, and were able to change angles and string together chains of handballs, while the Bombers were impotent with the ball in 16 players unavailable due to injury, Essendon looked undermanned and often uninspired, regularly kicking the ball long down the line for little reward on the scoreboard."We fought hard but there are just a lot of things we've got to improve on," Bombers coach Brad Scott said. "I don't think our supporters would've watched that and thought there was a lack of effort from our players - maybe a lack of class and experience, but we'll keep working on that." Essendon managed just four goals to three-quarter time, but mounted a late challenge in the final term through goals from Mason Redman, Isaac Kako and Lachie Blakiston. But with the margin trimmed to 13 points, Sydney settled and took control, slowing down play and chipping the ball around to wind down the clock for the final 10 minutes. Sam Durham battled manfully for the Bombers, while Rising Star contender Archie Roberts showed great composure in the back half. In an unusual sight, play was stopped for a short period in the first quarter while a grounds-keeper took to the field to fill a hole in the ground with sand. It's not the first issue the SCG has had with its surface this year, with the ground called into question after Sydney's round 16 loss to the Western Bulldogs, in which players continually slipped over. Finals is out of the equation for Sydney, but the Swans are desperate to head into 2026 with confidence and momentum. "I didn't find it tough to get motivated," Cox said. "As a footy club we have to finish the year off as well as we possibly can." 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With Nick Blakey (28 disposals, 678m gained) controlling play from the back half, and Gulden (30 disposals, 575m gained) and Isaac Heeney (28 disposals, 14 contested) dominant through the middle, the Swans never looked like losing. Sydney lacked an obvious focal point in attack, with Joel Amartey, Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean on the sidelines, but found goals through Braeden Campbell and Justin McInerney, who kicked two each. Jack Buller's classy drop punt goal from a set shot on the boundary was a rare highlight on a scrappy day where the two sides combined for 26 behinds and only 16 goals. Livewire Tom Papley managed just one goal and was well-held by first-gamer Jayden Nguyen, Essendon's 14th debutant for 2025. Essendon battled hard around the contest throughout, finishing with just eight fewer contested possessions, six more tackles and four more clearances than the Swans. But the gap in class was clear when it came to ball use. The Swans had 115 more uncontested disposals, and were able to change angles and string together chains of handballs, while the Bombers were impotent with the ball in 16 players unavailable due to injury, Essendon looked undermanned and often uninspired, regularly kicking the ball long down the line for little reward on the scoreboard."We fought hard but there are just a lot of things we've got to improve on," Bombers coach Brad Scott said. "I don't think our supporters would've watched that and thought there was a lack of effort from our players - maybe a lack of class and experience, but we'll keep working on that." Essendon managed just four goals to three-quarter time, but mounted a late challenge in the final term through goals from Mason Redman, Isaac Kako and Lachie Blakiston. But with the margin trimmed to 13 points, Sydney settled and took control, slowing down play and chipping the ball around to wind down the clock for the final 10 minutes. Sam Durham battled manfully for the Bombers, while Rising Star contender Archie Roberts showed great composure in the back half. In an unusual sight, play was stopped for a short period in the first quarter while a grounds-keeper took to the field to fill a hole in the ground with sand. It's not the first issue the SCG has had with its surface this year, with the ground called into question after Sydney's round 16 loss to the Western Bulldogs, in which players continually slipped over. Finals is out of the equation for Sydney, but the Swans are desperate to head into 2026 with confidence and momentum. "I didn't find it tough to get motivated," Cox said. "As a footy club we have to finish the year off as well as we possibly can." Sydney have handed Essendon a ninth consecutive loss, defeating the Bombers by 14 points in a scrappy contest in slippery conditions at the superstar Errol Gulden kicked the first goal of the game in his 100th AFL match, and the hosts were never headed thereafter, cruising to a 9.14 (68) to 7.12 (54) win on Saturday. Ruckman Brodie Grundy continued his excellent form, giving Sydney's midfielders first use around stoppages while winning 13 clearances and 39 disposals, including 16 in the final 31-year-old has polled coaches' votes in his last seven games and is making a late run as a contender for the All-Australian ruck mantle. "Not only his ability to cover the ground, but his intensity around the ball has been a big highlight for a long period of time," Sydney coach Dean Cox said post-match. "He's had a very, very impressive season." With Nick Blakey (28 disposals, 678m gained) controlling play from the back half, and Gulden (30 disposals, 575m gained) and Isaac Heeney (28 disposals, 14 contested) dominant through the middle, the Swans never looked like losing. Sydney lacked an obvious focal point in attack, with Joel Amartey, Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean on the sidelines, but found goals through Braeden Campbell and Justin McInerney, who kicked two each. Jack Buller's classy drop punt goal from a set shot on the boundary was a rare highlight on a scrappy day where the two sides combined for 26 behinds and only 16 goals. Livewire Tom Papley managed just one goal and was well-held by first-gamer Jayden Nguyen, Essendon's 14th debutant for 2025. Essendon battled hard around the contest throughout, finishing with just eight fewer contested possessions, six more tackles and four more clearances than the Swans. But the gap in class was clear when it came to ball use. The Swans had 115 more uncontested disposals, and were able to change angles and string together chains of handballs, while the Bombers were impotent with the ball in 16 players unavailable due to injury, Essendon looked undermanned and often uninspired, regularly kicking the ball long down the line for little reward on the scoreboard."We fought hard but there are just a lot of things we've got to improve on," Bombers coach Brad Scott said. "I don't think our supporters would've watched that and thought there was a lack of effort from our players - maybe a lack of class and experience, but we'll keep working on that." Essendon managed just four goals to three-quarter time, but mounted a late challenge in the final term through goals from Mason Redman, Isaac Kako and Lachie Blakiston. But with the margin trimmed to 13 points, Sydney settled and took control, slowing down play and chipping the ball around to wind down the clock for the final 10 minutes. Sam Durham battled manfully for the Bombers, while Rising Star contender Archie Roberts showed great composure in the back half. In an unusual sight, play was stopped for a short period in the first quarter while a grounds-keeper took to the field to fill a hole in the ground with sand. It's not the first issue the SCG has had with its surface this year, with the ground called into question after Sydney's round 16 loss to the Western Bulldogs, in which players continually slipped over. Finals is out of the equation for Sydney, but the Swans are desperate to head into 2026 with confidence and momentum. "I didn't find it tough to get motivated," Cox said. "As a footy club we have to finish the year off as well as we possibly can."
Courier-Mail
4 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
World Aquatics Championships: Cameron McEvoy in 50m freestyle final
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Death. Taxes. Cam and Kaylee. Some things in life you can take to the bank and when it comes to Australian swimmers stepping up on the international stage and delivering epic performances, Cameron McEvoy and Kaylee McKeown are as dependable as the sun rising tomorrow morning. In a replica of their fantastic August night at the Paris Olympics 12 months ago, McEvoy stormed to the 50m freestyle gold medal at the world titles in Singapore and not long after McKeown charged home to win the 200m backstroke gold medal. SWIM SPECIAL: AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST SINCE 2000 RANKED You've just got to admire the steely resolve and excellence this duo show time after time, defending their 2023 world titles and showing that despite massive life changes after Paris their commitment to superhuman performance remains resolute. For McEvoy he has welcomed his first child, a son Hartley, just 23 days ago with wife Madeline. Cameron Mcevoy won the 50m freestyle final. For McKeown she has suffered the broken heart of an ended relationship, had her coach Michael Bohl depart for China and moved back home to the comfort of family on the Sunshine Coast to push her career towards a potential Olympic three-peat in Los Angeles. At this rate, McKeown just might become Australia's greatest ever Olympian. Already she is the first Australian to do the double-double, winning both the 100m and 200m backstroke in Tokyo and Paris. A three-peat beckons in Los Angeles in 2028. And now she's done a world title double-double, winning the 100-200 in both Fukuoka and Singapore. Her victory on Saturday night was classic Kaylee. Out strong and then destroy them on the final 50m to win in a championship record time of 2:03.33. McKeown said she was thrilled with her time, especially after her recent shoulder issue and the gastro illness that has hit the Australian swim team. 'I wasn't feeling too great heading in, a bit of illness and stuff going around, dealing with a bit of a shoulder,' she said. 'I had to put my best foot forward tonight, I dug really deep, and I'm really happy with the time that I posted. 'Something I've been really working on is focusing on my own race. I think it really helped me on the outside lane (six), not seeing the other girls around me, and just really focusing on what I've been working on. I don't see a whole lot when I'm racing. I had to ask for my time at the end.' Yet again US backstroker Regan Smith had to settle for silver in 2:04.29, no doubt cursing the fact she is confronting one of the greatest racers the world of swimming has ever seen. Father time and fatherhood, it seems, will not stop McEvoy. Cam McEvoy celebrates his win. Kaylee McKeown was at her ruthless best. The 31-year-old Olympic champion again destroyed a field containing the fastest men on water, obliterating them off the blocks and holding strong to claim his second world title. The 50m freestyle specialist had an incredible 0.56s reaction time off the blocks and emerged ahead from the outset to race down and win in 21.14 seconds. In the process he became Australia's oldest ever swimmer to win a world championship gold medal, eclipsing former backstroke and butterfly champion Matt Welsh in 2007. It is the third year in a row McEvoy has been the toast of world swimming and the fastest man in the pool, with Great Britain's Ben Proud (21.26s) completing another veteran quinella just as the two elder statesmen did at the Paris Olympics last year. For McEvoy this victory is especially sweet given the major life changes back home with the Queenslander marrying his sweetheart Madeline after the Olympics and the pair welcoming their first child, son Hartley, just 23 days ago. 'It is pretty nice, a little bit different now compared to last year, I didn't have a son last year,' McEvoy said. 'Life has changed pretty dramatically, as it does with a newborn. 'I have to shout out Maddie, I couldn't be here without her … shout out little Hartley too. 'It's a very different life now, I've got to navigate it. I will figure it out.' US sprinter Jack Alexy completed the podium, touching third in 21.46s. Originally published as World Aquatics Championships: Cameron McEvoy wins gold in 50m freestyle final
