Young gun clinches astonishing come-from-behind win
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West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Australian swimming champion Mollie O'Callaghan on track to beat Ian Thorpe's world championships record
Australia has a new golden generation in the pool. And it's golden girl, 21-year-old ace Mollie O'Callaghan, who has now equalled swimming legend Ian Thorpe's record for most gold medals at the world championships. Aussie swimmers have dominated this week's titles in Singapore and have landed big blows on our closest rivals the United States. O'Callaghan sealed her 11th career world champs gold on Thursday night, powering Australia to victory in the 4x100m freestyle relay and to the top of the medal tally, ahead of the US. The Queensland jet saw off a challenge from legendary American swimmer Katie Ledecky. That's after she won the 200m freestyle with a clutch swim after qualifying second. She was pushed all the way by America's Claire Weinstein. It now means she is firmly in the conversation for the greatest Aussie swimmer of all time, alongside Thorpe, Olympic medal record-holder Emma McKeon and countrywomen Ariarne Titmus and Kaylee McKeown. But O'Callaghan and McKeown have time on their side. The pair are locked in for a tilt at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and are likely to then shoot for the 2032 home Games in Brisbane. 'It is very special,' O'Callaghan said. 'Like, it would be wrong if I said it wasn't special, it's a huge accomplishment in a way.' Thorpe expected his record to tumble when red-hot favourite O'Callaghan was due to race the women's 100m freestyle final on Friday night. 'I look at her, and I see the gold medallist,' Thorpe said in commentary for Channel 9. 'She will go far beyond 11 (golds). 'And looking … beyond for Mollie O'Callaghan, is the opportunity not only at the world championships but multiple Olympics.' O'Callaghan had already matched Thorpe's five Olympic golds, when she captured the attention of the world at last year's meet in France. At the Singapore worlds, Australia topped the medal tally with three nights of competition remaining with five golds, one more than the United States. The Dolphins had also won one silver and five bronze medals, including one to Kyle Chalmers in Thursday night's men's 100m freestyle final. Chalmers finished behind Romania's David Popovici who posted the second-fastest time ever, 46.51sec., followed by American Jack Alexy (46.92). The South Australian 27-year-old touched in 47.17 — his personal best is 47.08 but he remains steadfast that he can break the 47-second barrier. 'Just kind of reinventing myself in the sport and finding a new way to swim fast,' Chalmers said. 'I'm just really grateful to have a really supportive team that believe in me, or probably believe in me more than I have believed in myself since Paris (Olympics) last year.' But perhaps the best Aussie moment of the world champs belonged to another 21-year-old Queenslander in Harrison Turner. The youngster produced a stunning swim to score a surprise bronze medal in the men's 200m butterfly on Wednesday night and gave a priceless poolside interview. Turner jagged the country's first medal in the event. 'If you told me I was gonna win a gold — I mean, sorry, a bronze medal — at the start of the year, with a PB of 1:57, I'd tell you you're dreaming,' Turner said. 'Being in lane eight I just snuck in and I thought 'I've got a lane, I've got a chance'. I never would have imagined to sneak in a bronze there.' Turner finished the interview — which has since gone viral online — by flexing to the camera and shouting 'dirty gold, let's go'.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Mollie set to pip Aussie legend in country's epic pool haul
Australia has a new golden generation in the pool. And it's golden girl, 21-year-old ace Mollie O'Callaghan, who has now equalled swimming legend Ian Thorpe's record for most gold medals at the world championships. Aussie swimmers have dominated this week's titles in Singapore and have landed big blows on our closest rivals the United States. O'Callaghan sealed her 11th career world champs gold on Thursday night, powering Australia to victory in the 4x100m freestyle relay and to the top of the medal tally, ahead of the US. The Queensland jet saw off a challenge from legendary American swimmer Katie Ledecky. That's after she won the 200m freestyle with a clutch swim after qualifying second. She was pushed all the way by America's Claire Weinstein. It now means she is firmly in the conversation for the greatest Aussie swimmer of all time, alongside Thorpe, Olympic medal record-holder Emma McKeon and countrywomen Ariarne Titmus and Kaylee McKeown. But O'Callaghan and McKeown have time on their side. The pair are locked in for a tilt at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and are likely to then shoot for the 2032 home Games in Brisbane. 'It is very special,' O'Callaghan said. 'Like, it would be wrong if I said it wasn't special, it's a huge accomplishment in a way.' Thorpe expected his record to tumble when red-hot favourite O'Callaghan was due to race the women's 100m freestyle final on Friday night. 'I look at her, and I see the gold medallist,' Thorpe said in commentary for Channel 9. 'She will go far beyond 11 (golds). 'And looking … beyond for Mollie O'Callaghan, is the opportunity not only at the world championships but multiple Olympics.' O'Callaghan had already matched Thorpe's five Olympic golds, when she captured the attention of the world at last year's meet in France. At the Singapore worlds, Australia topped the medal tally with three nights of competition remaining with five golds, one more than the United States. The Dolphins had also won one silver and five bronze medals, including one to Kyle Chalmers in Thursday night's men's 100m freestyle final. Lani Pallister, Jamie Perkins, Brittany Castelluzzo and Mollie O'Callaghan of Team Australia celebrate winning the gold medal in the Women's 4x200m Freestyle Final. Credit: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images Chalmers finished behind Romania's David Popovici who posted the second-fastest time ever, 46.51sec., followed by American Jack Alexy (46.92). The South Australian 27-year-old touched in 47.17 — his personal best is 47.08 but he remains steadfast that he can break the 47-second barrier. 'Just kind of reinventing myself in the sport and finding a new way to swim fast,' Chalmers said. 'I'm just really grateful to have a really supportive team that believe in me, or probably believe in me more than I have believed in myself since Paris (Olympics) last year.' But perhaps the best Aussie moment of the world champs belonged to another 21-year-old Queenslander in Harrison Turner. The youngster produced a stunning swim to score a surprise bronze medal in the men's 200m butterfly on Wednesday night and gave a priceless poolside interview. Turner jagged the country's first medal in the event. 'If you told me I was gonna win a gold — I mean, sorry, a bronze medal — at the start of the year, with a PB of 1:57, I'd tell you you're dreaming,' Turner said. 'Being in lane eight I just snuck in and I thought 'I've got a lane, I've got a chance'. I never would have imagined to sneak in a bronze there.' Turner finished the interview — which has since gone viral online — by flexing to the camera and shouting 'dirty gold, let's go'.
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Popyrin power proves potent as Aussie ace prevails
Australia's Alexei Popyrin has won the battle of former champions to advance to the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Defending champ Popyrin, the 18th seed in Toronto, fought back after losing the first set to beat 10th-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev 5-7 6-4 6-4 on Thursday (local time). It was a superb win for the Australian against the former world No.1 and 2021 US Open and Canadian Open champion in the lead-up to the year's final major on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows in New York. Popyrin's victory set up a fourth-round clash with fifth seed Holger Rune on Saturday after the Dane advanced by beating Frenchman Alexandre Muller. On the same day, Alex de Minaur will take on Christopher O'Connell in the third round in an all-Australian encounter. De Minaur is looking to back up his success from Washington, where he picked up his 10th career title. Earlier on Thursday, top-seeded German Alexander Zverev beat Italy's Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-2 to reach 500 match victories. The 28-year-old Zverev - the 2017 champion - is the first ATP Tour player born in 1990 or later to win 500 matches. He won on clay in Munich in April for his 24th tour title. "I think I started playing better from the baseline. The longer the match went on, I started to find my rhythm a bit," Zverev said. "It was actually my backhand that was feeling a bit off in the beginning, which is strange, doesn't happen very often. "But after I found that shot, I was comfortable and I was happy about the level." Ranked third in the world, Zverev ended up the top seed in Toronto with No.1 Jannik Sinner and No.2 Carlos Alcaraz skipping the hard-court event. No.5 Jack Draper and No.6 Novak Djokovic are also absent. Zverev advanced to face No.14 seed Francisco Cerundolo, a 6-3 6-4 winner over fellow Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Earlier, Alex Michelsen upset third-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 to set up a clash with fellow American Learner Tien, a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 winner over countryman Reilly Opelka. Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway topped Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-5 6-4 to set up a match with 11th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat American Emilio Nava in three sets.
