Summer McIntosh, Lukas Martens live up to hype to win World Aquatics C'ships 400m freestyle finals
SINGAPORE – Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh completed Part One of her quest to win five individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH), when she comfortably touched the wall first in the women's 400m freestyle final in 3min 56.26sec on July 27.
Despite being the world record holder (3:54.18), the 18-year-old had never won gold in the event at the Olympics or WCH.
But there was no stopping her after she broke free from a deadlock with Australia's Lani Pallister in the first lap at the WCH Arena, as she won the race by almost two seconds over China's Li Bingjie, before rushing off to prepare for the 200m individual medley semi-finals, in which she ended as the fastest qualifier for the July 28 final.
On coping with the double race for the first time, McIntosh said: 'While preparing mentally for this world championships, I think tonight is my biggest night of the whole meet... to finally stand in the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet.
'The 200 IM semi-final, it was so much fun in the ready room, just chilling. Honestly, this makes me want to do more doubles and it was definitely an interesting kind of stimulus.'
In what can be viewed as a warning to her competitors in the 200m butterfly, 800m freestyle and the 200m and 400m medleys, she said: 'I think I'm at my best. I'm in the best shape of my life. So now I just have to act on that and put it into all my races.'
This meet had been billed as a generational duel between McIntosh and Katie Ledecky, but there were surprises on the podium as Li produced a blistering final lap to overtake and beat the American legend by 0.28sec to take silver in an Asian-record 3:58.21.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide
Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts
Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole
Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt
World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes
Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close
Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE
Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021
Still only 23, Li was a prodigy across all the freestyle distances when she burst onto the scene with three medals at the 2017 WCH at just age 15. Since then, she has struggled with injury and self-doubt, missing the 400m and 800m finals at the Paris Olympics.
Rebounding well in 2025 to become the first Asian woman to go under four minutes in the 400m in May before she beat Ledecky for the first time in her career, she said: 'She may not be at her peak form now, but this result is still very significant and meaningful to me.
'I've looked up to her since I was a young athlete and learnt so much from watching her swim. I feel emotional because this is something that I've thought about for so many years. I want to keep improving to be able to continue competing against Katie.'
Ledecky, whose bronze is the first among her 27 WCH medals, will look to exert her dominance in the longer distances.
The 28-year-old said: 'The first day is sometimes a hit or miss for me at these worlds. I'm really excited for the distance races, I mean that's kind of my thing. The 400 is too, I guess, but I'm really excited for the 1,500 tomorrow.'
The first final of the WCH whipped the sold-out crowd into a frenzy, as Germany's Lukas Martens traded leads with Australian Sam Short in the men's 400m freestyle before winning by 0.02sec in 3:42.35. South Korea's defending champion Kim Woo-min claimed bronze in 3:42.60.
Lukas Martens celebrating his 400m free victory alongside silver medallist Australia's Samuel Short and bronze medallist South Korea's Kim Woo-min.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Martens, 23, said: 'There was a lot of pressure. As a world record holder (3:39.96) and Olympic champion, it was not easy to fight these guys. But I tried my best, I gave everything, and I'm really happy and proud to be a world champion.'
Short, 21, dedicated the medal to his late aunt who died weeks ago, saying: 'It's been quite hard for my family recently. However bad I was hurting there, it was nowhere near as bad as her battling cancer the last 10 years.'
Australia were still able to celebrate double gold in the 4x100m freestyle relays, with their men's team of Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor, Maximillian Giuliani and Kyle Chalmers winning in a championship record time of 3:08.97, while their women's team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch triumphed in 3:30.60.
Earlier in the day, the host nation's swimmers and supporters also had something to cheer about, even if no Singaporean progressed from the morning heats.
Local distance queen Gan Ching Hwee set a national record in the women's 400m freestyle, as she won heat 2 in 4:09.81 to lower Lynette Lim's national mark of 4:11.24 set at the 2009 SEA Games.
The 22-year-old finished 13th overall out of 29 swimmers across four heats, about three seconds slower than German Maya Werner (4:06.75), who was the last qualifier for the eight-swimmer final. New Zealand's defending champion Erika Fairweather was disqualified after a false start.
Gan, the national record holder in the women's 800m (8:32.37) and 1,500m (16:10.13) was 'pleasantly surprised' she managed to slice 2.5sec off her 400m personal best of 4:12.31, especially as she felt she had not made big strides in the event in the past few years.
But having her family and friends in the stands helped in her latest breakthrough.
She told The Straits Times: 'I haven't swum in front of a home crowd in a big competition before, so this was very new and exciting for me.
'This national record has definitely been in my sights for a really long time and the 400m is the most challenging for myself because I need to strike a balance between speed and endurance and I haven't really been able to do that for the past couple of years, never really had a major breakthrough, so this national record was a pleasant surprise.'
'For some of the upcoming races, I do have a good lane in a fast heat (Gan is in the same 800m freestyle heat as McIntosh and the same 1,500m freestyle heat as Italy's defending champion Simona Quadarella), so I'm going to do my best to race and hopefully keep up with the girls next to me,' she added.
Other national swimmers who featured on the first day of the swimming competitions were Teong Tzen Wei (22nd in men's 50m butterfly in 23.38), Quah Jing Wen (24th in women's 100m butterfly in 59.18), Letitia Sim (27th in women's 200m individual medley in 2:15.45), Glen Lim (32nd in men's 400m freestyle in 3:54.97) and Chan Junhao (41st in 1:02.00 in men's 100m breaststroke).
Ardi Azman, Mikkel Lee, Jonathan Tan and Lim also teamed up in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay heats to finish 18th overall in 3:18.38.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Colombia edge Argentina in shootout to reach Women's Copa America final
Find out what's new on ST website and app. QUITO - Colombia booked their spot in the Women's Copa America final on Monday after edging Argentina 5-4 in a nail-biting penalty shootout following a goalless semi-final. Goalkeeper Katherine Tapia saved Paulina Gramaglia's spot-kick to give Colombia the advantage but Mayra Ramirez then hit the crossbar to rekindle Argentina's hopes. Wendy Bonilla put away Colombia's sixth kick to pile the pressure on Eliana Stabile, who struck the bar to send Argentina crashing out. "We are finalists and we qualified for the Olympics in Los Angeles, that was our objective. We are prepared for the final," Tapia said after the match. Argentina started brightly with Florencia Bonsegundo and Yamila Rodriguez testing the Colombian defence, but keeper Tapia proved equal to the task with a string of crucial saves. Colombia gradually found their rhythm despite first-half injuries to players on both sides that disrupted the flow of play. Ramirez, Leicy Santos and Linda Caicedo created opportunities but failed to find the breakthrough. Colombia increased the pressure after halftime and came agonisingly close to taking the lead when Valerin Loboa's close-range effort looked destined for the net, only for Argentina goalkeeper Solana Pereyra to produce a brilliant save. The match marked the first use of VAR in the tournament, the technology available only from the knockout stages, when the referee reviewed an incident in the penalty area involving Sophia Braun and Manuela Pavi in stoppage time before ruling it was not a penalty. Colombia will face either Brazil or Uruguay, who meet in Tuesday's second semi-final REUTERS
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Bouchard extends career with first-round win at Canadian Open
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Hometown hero Eugenie Bouchard beat Emiliana Arango 6-4 2-6 6-2 in the first round of the Canadian Open in Montreal on Monday, a win that delayed the former world number five's retirement. Bouchard announced earlier this month she would walk away from the sport after the tournament but added a condition to that plan in the wake of her thrilling victory in front of a packed crowd. "If I win this tournament, I will not retire," she said in an on-court interview. Playing in only her second singles match of the year, Bouchard blasted a forehand winner to take the first set but Colombian Arango turned the tables in the second set amid a cascade of unforced errors from her opponent. However, Bouchard broke for a 3-1 lead in the decider and hammered a swinging volley to extend the advantage to 4-1. The 31-year-old wildcard put her hands on her head and then her heart after securing the victory to set up a second round meeting with 17th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. Briton Emma Raducanu beat her good friend Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania 6-2 6-4 and will next meet 32nd seed Peyton Stearns. "It's very difficult to play someone who you are close to," Raducanu said. "I'm really glad about how I was able to put that to one side for the match and back up a good week in D.C." Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan beat Canadian qualifier Ariana Arseneault 6-4 6-2 in breezy conditions to set up a second-round meeting with 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova of Russia. In the men's tournament, which is being playing in Toronto, Australian Adam Walton roared back from a set down to defeat Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 4-6 6-0 6-3 and set up a second-round meeting with top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany. Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, the tournament's 2022 champion, came from behind to defeat Liam Draxl 2-6 6-4 6-4. Several top players withdrew ahead of the Masters and WTA 1000 tournament including world number ones Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper. REUTERS
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
In a country mad about football and boxing, Mexico's divers are contending on the world stage
Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez (left) and Osmar Olvera Ibarra of Mexico in action during the World Aquatics Championship Men's 3m Synchronised Diving final, held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 28, 2025. SINGAPORE – So precious is the men's 3m synchronised silver medal that Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez won at the 2024 Paris Olympics that it is now kept in a safe deposit box at a bank in Mexico. The Mexican diver decided to take this precaution to keep his prized possession and family safe after hearing a story about another athlete whose house was broken into for their Olympic medal. But this medal represents more than just personal glory, it also signifies something greater for Mexico's diving community. He said: 'It was a dream come true. It's a culmination of all the hard work that we've put in. A lot of people also started looking at us like we're the ones to follow, mostly Osmar (Olvera Ibarra). 'It's nice to have all the media attention, and the little kids following us on this journey so they can start their own and see how far they can get. It's been awesome, so we're glad to be that example for the next generation.' In a country obsessed with football and boxing, it may seem unexpected that Mexico's divers have established themselves as serious contenders on the world stage. In fact, diving is the country's most successful sport at the Olympics, having earned 17 medals in total – one gold, along with eight silvers and eight bronzes. Boxing, with 14 medals (2-4-8), is second, while athletics has brought home the most golds – three. Despite this, diving remains less popular than sports like football and boxing, but there is hope that the recent successes of the divers will bring more attention to the sport. 'Definitely, Mexico only looks at diving whenever we have a big meet. We've been getting a little more media attention since the (Olympic) medal, but it's definitely one of those 'ghost sports', even though we're the most successful sport internationally,' said Celaya, who clinched a men's 3m synchronised silver with Olvera at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 28. 'It's a little sad but I'm glad it's picking up again for more people to see that we're pretty good at diving so they can focus on other sports than boxing and football.' Mexico has a long history of diving success dating back to the 1940s, when Joaquin Capilla won the country's first diving medal at the 1948 London Games, securing a bronze in the men's 10m platform. He also won Mexico's first Olympic diving gold two editions later, paving the way for more medals. In more recent years, Olvera has captured the spotlight, winning two medals at the Paris Games – a silver in the synchronised 3m springboard event alongside Celaya and a bronze in the individual 3m springboard. Olvera, the men's 1m springboard gold at the 2024 world championships, became the first Mexican athlete since the 1984 Summer Olympics to win medals in two different events at the same Games. Much of this success can be attributed to one person – national coach Ma Jin, who has been in her role for over two decades. Olvera said: 'Ma is, for me, the best coach in the world, and I believe in her work and her. She taught me a lot about Chinese technique, and I appreciate that. 'China are the best country in diving, and in every competition, I want to beat them and I put her work into that.' In pursuit of excellence, Olvera turned to Ma when he was 13. In an interview with World Aquatics, he remembered feeling afraid initially as he heard that she was strict and practice was hard. The 21-year-old recounted how on the first day working with her, he came without a backpack thinking he would not be training, but Ma had other plans. Ma arrived in Mexico in 2003 as part of a Mexico-China sports partnership and was offered the opportunity to coach. She initially faced challenges like the language barrier, but was determined to succeed, although she never expected such success. Since then, Ma has guided some of the country's best divers, including Mexico's first world champion, Paola Espinosa. Ma said: 'I wanted to demonstrate the Chinese techniques, our culture, and the personal charisma of individuals. I imparted my techniques to them and I was able to bring about a significant change.' Mexico's divers also believe their success is down to something more intrinsic – their resilience. Celaya said: 'We want to succeed, want to be better, and want to show the world what we're made of.' This is evident in Ma's observation of her divers, whom she said prefer doing higher-difficulty dives. But to catch up with powerhouses China, Ma feels that more attention needs to be paid to the fundamentals of their dives. A culture of helping one another is also key, with more experienced divers guiding the aspiring ones. 'I really love doing that. Transmitting what I know to my teammates is very important because I like being a good diver, but I also want to be a good person,' said Olympic bronze medallist Gabriela Belem Agundez Garcia, who bagged the women's 10m synchronised silver with Alejandra Estudillo Torres on July 28. 'We have young people with big dreams, so we will continue to be a good and strong country that always tries to do its best.'
