Australia's swimming dominance: Small population but big results
By STEPHEN WADE
Australia has a relatively small population. But Australia is a giant when it comes to competitive swimming. Whether it's the Olympics, or as it is this time with the swimming world championships opening in the pool in Singapore on Sunday, Aussie swimmers grace the podium.
'We have swimming in our DNA as a country,' Rohan Taylor, Australia's head coach, told The Associated Press.
'We have to be particular and purposeful in finding the talent,' he added. "And then it's the coaching. We can't get it wrong. We get one crack at the talented athlete.'
Australia won seven gold medals and 18 overall at last year's Paris Olympics, second in both categories to the United States.
The United States has 340 million people, almost 13 times Australia's population of 27 million. The Americans won eight gold and 28 overall.
China, No. 3 with 12 overall, won only two gold medals from a population of 1.4 billion — 52 times Australia's.
Australia's women are swimming powers, led by Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O'Callaghan. Add in Moesha Johnson, who has already won the 10- and 5-kilometer open-water races in Singapore and expects to race the 800 and 1,500 in the pool.
McKeown won the 100 and 200 backstroke in Paris and in Tokyo in 2021. She also won both races two years ago at the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. O'Callaghan is the defending 200 freestyle winner for Paris.
Then there's men like Kyle Chalmers, who won the 100 free at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and has piled up nine Olympics medals and 12 in world championships.
'They have done so well on the international stage — multiple times,' Taylor said. "So it's another opportunity for them to add to their CVs.'
For French star Léon Marchand, the world championships mean easing off. He won four individual Olympic gold medals a year ago in Paris. The Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 are still far off.
Time to swim a lighter schedule.
None of that for Canadian Summer McIntosh. She won three individual gold medals in Paris, but will go for five in Singapore, a test run for her program in Los Angeles.
These worlds, a year after the Olympics, feature swimmers in their prime, older swimmers who want to see if they can make it to LA, and young swimmers making their debut.
Another worlds is set for 2027 in Budapest, Hungary — the final proving ground before the 2028 Olympics.
Marchand is expected to race only the 200 and 400 individual medley races in Singapore, dropping the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly. He won gold in all four in Paris, but wants to be fresh from the two IM races and world-record shots.
In Singapore, McIntosh will go in the two IMs, the 200 fly, and the 400 and 800 freestyle. She did not swim the 800 free in Paris. This time she will, which sets up a showdown with American superstar Katie Ledecky — maybe the most anticipated race of the worlds.
The eight gold medals that U.S. swimmers won to top the Paris standings was their lowest victory total at the Olympics since the 1988 Seoul Games, when the Americans fell to East Germany. Singapore is the place to regroup and add youth, with the home Los Angeles Olympics in view.
The American men had a tough Olympics with the only gold from Bobby Finke in the 1,500. Look for some new faces in Singapore.
'The average age of our men's team is younger than the average age of our women's team,' U.S. coach Greg Meehan told The AP. He said it was 'the first time in recent memory.'
He ran off names like freestylers Jack Alexy, Luke Hobson, and Rex Maurer and Luka Urlando in the butterfly.
'I do acknowledge that the rest of the world is getting better. There is no doubt about it,' Meehan said. 'I love a challenge — I'm going to lean into that.'
Familiar names stand out on the women's side — Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, Kate Douglass and Regan Smith. Ledecky, of course, is a nine-time Olympic gold medalist and holds world records in the 800 and 1,500 freestyle.
Walsh holds the world record in the 100 fly, and Smith in the 100 backstroke.
Yes. A 12-year-old swimmer named Yu Zidi from China is competing in the world championships, and her incredible times mean she might win a medal. At 12.
Yu has qualified in the 200 and 400 IMs and the 200 fly. Her time of 2:10.63 in the 200 IM was the fastest ever from a 12-year-old swimmer — female or male.
Yu has a best in the 200 fly of 2:06.83 and 4:35.53 in the 400 IM. Both times would have been good enough for fourth place in last year's Olympics.
The Chinese stars are Pan Zhanle, who set a world record of 46.40 in 100 freestyle in Paris, and Qin Haiyang. Qin holds the world record in the 200 breaststroke in 2:05.48.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
8 hours ago
- Japan Today
Summer McIntosh goes for her second gold on Day 2 at the swimming world championships
Summer McIntosh of Canada competes in the women's 200m individual medley semifinal at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Sunday, July 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) swimming By STEPHEN WADE It's Day 2 at the swimming world championships in Singapore. That means it's a chance for Summer McIntosh to add her second gold medal after winning the 400 freestyle on the opening day. The 18-year-old Canadian is trying for five individual golds across the eight-day event in Singapore. On Monday she's a strong favorite to get her second gold, this time in the 200-meter individual medley. She set the world record of 2 minutes, 05.70 seconds at the Canadian trials a few months ago. McIntosh is expected to be challenged by American Alex Walsh. Also in the field is 12-year-old Chinese Yu Zidi, whose age and astounding times are the talk of global swimming. The women's 100 butterfly is another eye-catching race. American Gretchen Walsh — Alex's older sister — is the favorite and set the world record of 54.60 earlier this year. Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium and Australia's Alexandria Perkins will push Walsh. Two more finals are set. Qin Haiyang of China and Nicolo Marinenghi of Italy are the favorites in the 100 breaststroke. The Italian is the Olympian champion from Paris, and Qin won this event two years ago at the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. The 50 fly final is wide open, but the quickest qualifiers were Maxime Grousset of France and Noe Ponti of Switzerland. There are also three semifinals Monday — the men's 100 backstroke, the men's 200 free, and the women's 100 backstroke. AP sports: © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Asahi Shimbun
11 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
MLB/ Ichiro Suzuki adds humorous touches to Hall of Fame induction ceremonies
Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki, right, and his wife Yumiko Suzuki smile during the Baseball Hall of Fame Parade of Legends in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 26. (AP Photo) COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.--If you want someone for your next celebrity roast, Ichiro Suzuki could be your guy. Mixing sneaky humor with heartfelt messages, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame stole the show Sunday in Cooperstown. Morning showers and gloomy skies delayed the ceremonies by an hour, but the moisture gave way to bright skies and warm temperatures. The sun seemed its brightest during Suzuki's acceptance speech. The outfielder was joined by pitcher CC Sabathia, also elected in his first year of eligibility, and closer Billy Wagner, who made it in his final try on the writers' ballot. Suzuki fell one vote shy of being a unanimous selection and he took a jab at the unidentified sportswriter who didn't vote for him. 'Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are two achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one,' Suzuki said to roaring laughter. 'By the way, the offer for the writer to have dinner at my home has now expired,' he added, with emphasis on 'expired' for good measure. A pair of Era Committee selections rounded out the Class of 2025: Dave Parker, who earned the nickname Cobra during 20 big league seasons, and slugger Dick Allen. Parker died June 28, just a month before he was to be inducted. An estimated 30,000 fans crowded onto the field adjacent to the Clark Sports Center, sun umbrellas and Japanese flags sprinkled around. Suzuki's No. 51 was seemingly everywhere as fans, thousands of them Seattle Mariners boosters who made the trek from the Pacific Northwest, chanted 'Ichiro' several times throughout the day. A sign that read 'Thank You Ichiro! Forever a Legend' in English and Japanese summed up the admiration for Suzuki on his special day. With 52 returning Hall of Famers on hand, Suzuki paid homage to his new baseball home in Cooperstown and his adoring fans by delivering his 18-minute speech in English. His humor, a surprise to many, delighted the crowd. He threw shade at the Miami Marlins, the last stop of his professional career. 'Honestly, when you guys offered me a contract in 2015, I had never heard of your team,' Suzuki joked. He kidded that he showed up at spring training every year with his arm 'already in shape' just to hear Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs scream, ''Holy smokes! Another laser-beam throw from Ichiro!'' He even took a moment for some tongue-in-cheek modesty. 'People often measure me by my records. Three thousand hits. Ten Gold Gloves. Ten seasons of 200 hits. 'Not bad, huh?' Suzuki said to more laughs. He thanked his late agent Tony Anastasio for 'getting me to America and for teaching me to love wine.' But he also took time to get to the root of what made him extraordinary. 'Baseball is much more than just hitting, throwing and running. Baseball taught me to make valued decisions about what is important. It helped shape my view of life and the world. … The older I got, I realized the only way I could get to play the game I loved to the age of 45 at the highest level was to dedicate myself to it completely,' he said. 'When fans use their precious time to see you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them whether you are winning by 10 or losing by 10. 'Baseball taught me what it means to be a professional and I believe that is the main reason I am here today. I could not have achieved the numbers without paying attention to the small details every single day consistently for all 19 seasons.' Now he's reached the pinnacle, overcoming doubters, one of whom said to him: ''Don't embarrass the nation.'' He's made his homeland proud. 'Going into America's Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn't even know there was one. I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001, but being here today sure feels like a fantastic dream.' Sabathia thanked 'the great players sitting behind me, even Ichiro, who stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001).' He paid homage to Parker and spoke about Black culture in today's game. 'It's an extra honor to be a part of Dave's Hall of Fame class. He was a father figure for a generation of Black stars. In the '80s and early '90s when I first started watching baseball and Dave Parker was crushing homers, the number of Black players in the major leagues was at its highest, about 18%. Me and my friends played the game because we saw those guys on TV and there was always somebody who looked like me in a baseball uniform. 'Baseball has always been a great game for Black athletes, but baseball culture has not always been great to Black people. I hope we're starting to turn that around. I don't want to be the final member of the Black aces, a Black pitcher to win 20 games. And I don't want to be the final Black pitcher giving a Hall of Fame speech.' Wagner urged young players to treat obstacles not as 'roadblocks, but steppingstones.' 'I wasn't the biggest player. I wasn't supposed to be here. There were only seven full-time relievers in the Hall of Fame. Now, there are eight because I refused to give up or give in,' he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was picked on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. After arriving in the majors in 2001, Suzuki joined Fred Lynn (1975) as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's major league record of 4,256. Sabathia, second to Suzuki in 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, was a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees. A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, Boston and Atlanta. Tom Hamilton and Tom Boswell were also honored during Hall of Fame weekend. Hamilton has been the primary radio broadcaster for the Cleveland Guardians franchise for 35 seasons and received the Ford C. Frick Award. Boswell, a retired sports columnist who spent his entire career with The Washington Post, was honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.
Yomiuri Shimbun
13 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Dodgers 2-Way Star Shohei Ohtani to Start on Mound Wednesday. Team Goes to 6-Man Rotation
BOSTON (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is expected to start on the mound Wednesday as he continues his buildup from elbow surgery that kept him from pitching all last season. Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday before the Dodgers faced the Boston Red Sox in the finale of their three-game series that the plan is for Ohtani to work four innings at Cincinnati, with an off day to recover before hitting in a game. With the Japanese superstar working his way back along with left-hander Blake Snell, who pitched 4 2/3 innings on Saturday in his fourth rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Dodgers will be using a six-man rotation. They currently have Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Dustin May, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Emmet Sheehan in the rotation. 'Shohei is going to go on Wednesday and then he'll probably pitch the following Wednesday, so that probably lends itself to the six-man,' Roberts said. In Ohtani's last start, he allowed one run and four hits in three innings against Minnesota on July 22. He struck out three and walked one, throwing 46 pitches, 30 for strikes. Roberts feels like this season is sort of a rehab year in the big leagues and doesn't foresee the team extending Ohtani's workload deep into games for a while. 'I think this whole year on the pitching side is sort of rehab, maintenance,' he said. 'We're not going to have the reins off where we're going to say: 'Hey you can go 110 pitches.' I don't see that happening for quite some time. I think that staying at four (innings) for a bit, then build up to five and we'll see where we can go from there.' Also Sunday, the club activated right-handed reliever Blake Treinen from the injured list and recalled left-hander Justin Wrobleski. The 37-year-old Treinen was a big part of last season's run to the World Series title, picking up two victories in the Series against the New York Yankees. He has been sidelined since April 19 because of forearm tightness. 'I think the only thing I'm going to be mindful of is the up-down,' Roberts said on Treinen's usage. 'To come into an inning of leverage, I have no problem.' Wrobleski, 25, is with the Dodgers for the fourth time this season. He's a starter now, but Roberts said he'll work out of the bullpen. 'Just trying to get a quality arm, get some length, potentially using him in two-inning stints, three-inning stints is going to be helpful for our 'pen,' Roberts said. 'The goal is to get the best pitchers on your roster in whatever role.' To make room on the roster, LA optioned right-handers Will Klein and Edgardo Henriquez.
