World Swimming Championships: Shocked Harris wins 50m freestyle world championship
Harris, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, won the gold medal in 24.02 seconds.
A five-time world champion already, the 23-year-old finally has an individual title to add to the relay golds she's accumulated since Budapest in 2022.
Harris touched the wall 0.24 seconds ahead of China's Qingfeng Wu, with Yujie Cheng third.
Earlier, Isaac Cooper was seventh in the men's 50m backstroke.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
3 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Meg Harris wins 50m freestyle gold at World Swimming Championships
Australian sprinter Meg Harris gambled on herself and came up a world champion. The 23-year-old was one of the big underdog stories of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, bolting from an outside lane to claim a shock silver medal in the 50m freestyle. Inspired by that moment and the success of Australia's unique sprint king Cameron McEvoy, Harris decided to all but shelve the 100m event and focus on being a pure sprinter. It was a huge risk, given she had collected two Olympic and five world titles gold medals by being part of a relay ensemble with her 100m strength, but Harris knew she had potential to stand atop the podium on her own if she went all in on the 50m. Meg Harris celebrates after winning the women's 50m freestyle final. Picture: AFP) So committed was Harris to her new life as a one-lap specialist, she pulled out of the 100m event after swimming a heat at the national trials and coaches needed to twist her arm just to line up for the 4x100m freestyle relay on the opening night of these world titles where she also won a gold medal. But Harris has proven she could have her cake and eat it too. Harris executed a near-perfect race to take Australia's eighth gold medal of the world titles, with a stunning start and underwater to come up clearly ahead of the field and hold on to win in 24.02 seconds from China's Qingfeng Wu (24.26s) and Yujie Cheng (24.28s). She is Australia's first women's 50m freestyle world champion in a decade, joining Bronte Campbell as a one-lap hero after she won the title in Kazan in 2015. It also means Australia boasts the fastest man and woman in the world after Cameron McEvoy also won the 50m freestyle earlier in the meet. Meg Harris was part of five world championship-winning relay teams, with this her first individual title. Picture: AFP 'I still don't have the words to process this, but this is a dream,' Harris said. 'I felt really good the first 15m and that's been my weakness so far. I knew if I got that right I just had to hold on.' Harris said she made the bold call to focus on the 50m after struggling to get back into the grind of swimming life post Paris. 'It was a bit of a tough one. I felt such a high coming off that, and then starting out this year I had to find a new motivation, not just coming in and doing the exact same thing,' she explained. 'I tried for the first couple months, but something just wasn't working. I needed to find a new way to do it. So I stripped everything back and started with the basics, all the things… like the reasons I started swimming. I love sprinting, I love racing. 'So we just took that all back, did everything that I love. I'm excited now to put together the rest when I get home. But yeah, cannot be happier.' Meg Harris takes off, on her way to a world championships gold medal. Picture: Getty Images In a post-Olympic year Australia's eight gold medals is perhaps a stronger return than expected for a swim team that was tipped to struggle with Ariarne Titmus taking the year off, Zac Stubblety-Cook out injured and Olympic great Emma McKeon retired. But it is one more gold medal than the Dolphins secured at the Paris Olympics and importantly there were fresh faces like Harris showing they were ready to stand up as individuals in the path towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Meg Harris reacts after winning the women's 50m freestyle final. Picture: AFP The emergence of Lani Pallister as a serious threat to Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle, the arrival of Alexandria Perkins as a 50m-100m butterfly medallist and the 'dirty gold' Harrison Turner in the 200m butterfly have given Australian optimism about regenerating a swim team that is still powered by greats like Kaylee McKeown, Mollie O'Callaghan, Cameron McEvoy and Kyle Chalmers. While it wasn't quite the 13 gold medal haul from Fukuoka's 2023 world titles, the signs are promising enough that the Dolphins are keeping the US swim team honest in the medal table battle ahead of their home Games in three years. Sam Short climbed out of his sick bed just three days after a horrendous bout of gastro for a gallant fourth place in the 1500m freestyle final in 14:43,06. Samuel Short was fourth in the 1500m freestyle final. Picture: AFP 'I just wanted to get out there and see how hard I could push myself,' he said. 'I was pretty sick three days ago ... fourth I will take that. 'I didn't have to do the 1500 but there was no way I would sit in the stands without giving it a crack.' Jenna Forrester secured a shock silver medal in the women's 400m medley, fighting back over the final 25m to deadheat for second behind Canada's superstar Summer McIntosh who won in 4:25.78 for her fourth gold medal of the titles. Jenna Forrester shared silver behind Summer McIntosh in the women's 400m medley. Picture: Getty Images Forrester looked to be battling to hold on for bronze when she turned third at the 350m mark, but somehow found another gear down the final lap to tie for second with Japan's Mio Narita in 4:33.26. That final lap surge also denied China's 12-year-old Yu Zidi an individual medal, she touched fourth in 4:33.76. 'I feel like from 2023 it's been such a hard battle, to be up on the podium I am so stoked,' Forrester said. The battle to see which nation wins the medal tally came down to the final event of the world titles - with USA and Australia both tied with eight gold medals ahead of the women's 400m medley. In the end it was the US team, powered by a dominant breaststroke leg by Kate Douglass, that won comprehensively in a new world record time of 3:49.34 ahead of Australia in silver in 3:52.67. It meant Australia ended the meet ranked No.2 on the leaderboard with eight gold, six silver and six bronze medals, behind the United States with nine gold, 11 silver and nine bronze medals. Originally published as World Swimming Championships: Shocked Harris wins 50m freestyle world championship
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Harris puts gold stamp on Australia's swim world titles
Swimming with her eyes shut, Meg Harris has put a golden exclamation mark on Australia's world titles with victory in the women's 50m freestyle. Harris' gold medal on Sunday's last night of the titles in Singapore came amid silver medals to compatriot Jenna Forrester (women's 400m medley) and Australia's women's 4x100m medley relayers. Australia, with eight gold, six silver and six bronze, finished second on the medal tally behind the United States (nine, 11, nine). The 23-year-old Harris, who is partially deaf, was stunned at her success - not least, because she swims the entire lap with her eyes closed. "It's normal for me," Harris said of her shut-eye habit. "I do it a lot in the 50m and in the 100m, I always do it on the second lap. "So I'm not quite sure what it is, I do it in training as well, but I guess it's just like trying to focus on my stroke … not 100 per cent, that's just what happens." Harris clocked 24.02 seconds to claim her first individual title in a career also featuring nine relay golds at Olympics and world championships. "Stoked ... I have achieved what the dream that I've been dreaming of this whole time," said Harris, who won silver in the event at last year's Paris Olympics. In the women's 400m medley final, Australia's Forrester finished second behind Canadian megastar Summer McIntosh, who won four gold medals in Singapore. Sam Short's illness-troubled titles finished with fourth place in the men's 1500m, Isaac Cooper was seventh in the men's 50m backstroke and Brendon Smith came last in the men's 400m medley. And the Dolphins' women's 4x100m medley team of Kaylee McKeown, Ella Ramsay, Alex Perkins and Mollie O'Callaghan took silver in the last race of the championships, won by the US in a world record time of three minutes 49.34 seconds. O'Callaghan was Australia's most successful swimmer of the meet with three gold medals and two silvers. Kaylee McKeown collected two golds, repeating her 100-200m backstroke double from last year's Olympics, plus a silver while Cam McEvoy became Australia's oldest gold medallist at a world titles, winning the men's 50m freestyle aged 31. Another veteran, 27-year-old Kyle Chalmers, won gold as part of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, and bronze in the individual 100m. Meanwhile, in the diving world titles in Singapore, Australia's Cassiel Rousseau won the men's 10m platform for the second time. The 24-year-old produced consistent excellence in Sunday night's final - he led after the first dive, was second after the next two, then held the gold medal position for the final three dives. Rousseau described his gold, which follows his victory in the event at the 2023 world championships, as "unexpected". "It definitely feels amazing," he said. Swimming with her eyes shut, Meg Harris has put a golden exclamation mark on Australia's world titles with victory in the women's 50m freestyle. Harris' gold medal on Sunday's last night of the titles in Singapore came amid silver medals to compatriot Jenna Forrester (women's 400m medley) and Australia's women's 4x100m medley relayers. Australia, with eight gold, six silver and six bronze, finished second on the medal tally behind the United States (nine, 11, nine). The 23-year-old Harris, who is partially deaf, was stunned at her success - not least, because she swims the entire lap with her eyes closed. "It's normal for me," Harris said of her shut-eye habit. "I do it a lot in the 50m and in the 100m, I always do it on the second lap. "So I'm not quite sure what it is, I do it in training as well, but I guess it's just like trying to focus on my stroke … not 100 per cent, that's just what happens." Harris clocked 24.02 seconds to claim her first individual title in a career also featuring nine relay golds at Olympics and world championships. "Stoked ... I have achieved what the dream that I've been dreaming of this whole time," said Harris, who won silver in the event at last year's Paris Olympics. In the women's 400m medley final, Australia's Forrester finished second behind Canadian megastar Summer McIntosh, who won four gold medals in Singapore. Sam Short's illness-troubled titles finished with fourth place in the men's 1500m, Isaac Cooper was seventh in the men's 50m backstroke and Brendon Smith came last in the men's 400m medley. And the Dolphins' women's 4x100m medley team of Kaylee McKeown, Ella Ramsay, Alex Perkins and Mollie O'Callaghan took silver in the last race of the championships, won by the US in a world record time of three minutes 49.34 seconds. O'Callaghan was Australia's most successful swimmer of the meet with three gold medals and two silvers. Kaylee McKeown collected two golds, repeating her 100-200m backstroke double from last year's Olympics, plus a silver while Cam McEvoy became Australia's oldest gold medallist at a world titles, winning the men's 50m freestyle aged 31. Another veteran, 27-year-old Kyle Chalmers, won gold as part of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, and bronze in the individual 100m. Meanwhile, in the diving world titles in Singapore, Australia's Cassiel Rousseau won the men's 10m platform for the second time. The 24-year-old produced consistent excellence in Sunday night's final - he led after the first dive, was second after the next two, then held the gold medal position for the final three dives. Rousseau described his gold, which follows his victory in the event at the 2023 world championships, as "unexpected". "It definitely feels amazing," he said. Swimming with her eyes shut, Meg Harris has put a golden exclamation mark on Australia's world titles with victory in the women's 50m freestyle. Harris' gold medal on Sunday's last night of the titles in Singapore came amid silver medals to compatriot Jenna Forrester (women's 400m medley) and Australia's women's 4x100m medley relayers. Australia, with eight gold, six silver and six bronze, finished second on the medal tally behind the United States (nine, 11, nine). The 23-year-old Harris, who is partially deaf, was stunned at her success - not least, because she swims the entire lap with her eyes closed. "It's normal for me," Harris said of her shut-eye habit. "I do it a lot in the 50m and in the 100m, I always do it on the second lap. "So I'm not quite sure what it is, I do it in training as well, but I guess it's just like trying to focus on my stroke … not 100 per cent, that's just what happens." Harris clocked 24.02 seconds to claim her first individual title in a career also featuring nine relay golds at Olympics and world championships. "Stoked ... I have achieved what the dream that I've been dreaming of this whole time," said Harris, who won silver in the event at last year's Paris Olympics. In the women's 400m medley final, Australia's Forrester finished second behind Canadian megastar Summer McIntosh, who won four gold medals in Singapore. Sam Short's illness-troubled titles finished with fourth place in the men's 1500m, Isaac Cooper was seventh in the men's 50m backstroke and Brendon Smith came last in the men's 400m medley. And the Dolphins' women's 4x100m medley team of Kaylee McKeown, Ella Ramsay, Alex Perkins and Mollie O'Callaghan took silver in the last race of the championships, won by the US in a world record time of three minutes 49.34 seconds. O'Callaghan was Australia's most successful swimmer of the meet with three gold medals and two silvers. Kaylee McKeown collected two golds, repeating her 100-200m backstroke double from last year's Olympics, plus a silver while Cam McEvoy became Australia's oldest gold medallist at a world titles, winning the men's 50m freestyle aged 31. Another veteran, 27-year-old Kyle Chalmers, won gold as part of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, and bronze in the individual 100m. Meanwhile, in the diving world titles in Singapore, Australia's Cassiel Rousseau won the men's 10m platform for the second time. The 24-year-old produced consistent excellence in Sunday night's final - he led after the first dive, was second after the next two, then held the gold medal position for the final three dives. Rousseau described his gold, which follows his victory in the event at the 2023 world championships, as "unexpected". "It definitely feels amazing," he said.
Daily Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Stuard Broad hits back at David Warner as Ashes war of words erupts, cricket 2025 news
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News. There's nearly four months until the first Ashes Test in Perth, but the war of words is already well underway. Ex-England bowler Stuart Broad has hit back at comments from former Australian rival David Warner, who took a gentle dig at superstar batter Joe Root ahead of the marquee series. Speaking to BBC Sport, Warner suggested that Root, the second-leading run-scorer in Test history, was susceptible to LBW dismissals, warning that Australian quick Josh Hazlewood will be targeting his front pad during this summer's Ashes campaign. Root averages 51.09 in Tests, but that figure slips to 31.40 when facing Hazlewood. Watch England vs India Test Series LIVE & EXCLUSIVE on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1 > 'The big anchor there is Rooty, who is yet to score a hundred in Australia,' Warner said. 'Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He will have to take the surfboard off his front leg.' Most times dismissing Joe Root in Tests 11 – Pat Cummins (AUS) 11 – Jasprit Bumrah (IND) 10 – Josh Hazlewood (AUS) 9 – Ravindra Jadeja (IND) England's Joe Root. Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP Root has cracked 15 Test hundreds since the start of 2022, averaging 64.64 in the game's longest format during that period. However, the right-hander has struggled on previous Ashes tours to Australia, scoring 892 runs at 35.68 with no centuries across 15 matches. The Yorkshireman has been toppled by Hazlewood ten times in the Test arena – but as pointed out by Broad, only three of those dismissals were LBW, the most recent of which occurred way back in 2019. 'I've never heard England's best ever batters front pad called a surfboard,' Broad tweeted. 'Just for clarity. Hazlewood has got Rooty LBW in Test cricket three times. Three.' Since the start of 2013, no cricketer has been dismissed LBW in the Test arena more often than Root with 51, accounting for 19.39 per cent of his wickets, which is noticeably higher than teammates Ben Stokes (12.69), Ollie Pope (15.84) and Zak Crawley (14.29). Warner, who will represent the London Spirit in the upcoming Hundred tournament, and Broad enjoyed an entertaining Ashes rival, with the Englishman removing the Australian opener on 17 occasions. Most LBW dismissals in Tests since 2013 51 – Joe Root (ENG) 36 – Virat Kohli (IND) 33 – Steve Smith (AUS) 31 – Kraigg Brathwaite (WI) 30 – Jonny Bairstow (ENG) Originally published as Ashes war of words erupts as Broad hits back at Warner's swipe
