Steenbergen wins world 100m freestyle to deny O'Callaghan
Steenbergen held off a late charge from O'Callaghan to touch the wall in 52.55sec, forcing her Australian rival to settle for second in 52.67.
American Torri Huske, who withdrew from a race earlier in the week after suffering from a stomach bug, was third in 52.89.
Steenbergen won world championship gold in the event in Doha last year in a field missing several big names saving themselves for the Paris Olympics.
"In Doha I was like, this is crazy to win, but in this field I don't know what to feel, I'm just so happy," said the 25-year-old.
Steenbergen also won bronze with the Dutch team in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay this week in Singapore.
"After the relay I knew I was in good shape but I was getting more nervous through the week and tonight I was feeling it a bit," she said.
"I just tried to keep my calm."
Steenbergen's win denied O'Callaghan her fourth gold medal of the week and her 12th world championship career title.
A win would have seen her eclipse retired great Ian Thorpe as Australia's most decorated world championship swimmer.
"As I've said a thousand times, I've not had the best prep towards this," said O'Callaghan, who won the 200m freestyle title two nights earlier.
"To do what I did tonight, last night and the nights before that, I am very proud."
Huske picked up her second medal of the week after winning silver with the US women's 4x100m freestyle relay team.
"I've never had such a roller coaster of a meet," she said.
"I am really proud of that swim and that was I able to get back to kind of normal."
The overwhelming majority of the United States team has been battling acute gastroenteritis.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
8 hours ago
- The Citizen
Leclerc ends Ferrari barren run with stunning pole ahead of McLarens
"I definitely didn't expect that and honestly I just don't have any words for this. It's one of my best poles and the most unexpected." Charles Leclerc ended Ferrari's barren qualifying run this year with a stunning late lap on Saturday to beat both McLarens and claim his first pole of the season for the Italian team at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The 27-year-old Monegasque went late in the final minutes of a closely-contested session to clock a best lap in one minute and 15.372 seconds in changing conditions, leaving his rivals frustrated as they failed to improve on their first run times. 'I definitely didn't expect that and honestly I just don't have any words for this. It's one of my best poles and the most unexpected,' said Leclerc. He took pole by 0.026 seconds ahead of series leader Oscar Piastri and by 0.041sec ahead of the Australian's McLaren team-mate and title rival Lando Norris, with George Russell 0.053sec adrift in a breathtakingly close finish. It was Leclerc's first pole of the year, his first in Budapest and the 27th of his career. It was Ferrari's first pole in Hungary since Sebastian Vettel in 2017. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fifth ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll, the pair enjoying their best qualifying of the season, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto seventh ahead of Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen and the two Racing Bulls rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. 'Wow, whooaw!, Mama Mia!' exclaimed Leclerc, who had on Thursday described the Hungaroring as his worst track of the season. 'Today, I don't understand anything about F1. The whole of qualifying has been so extremely difficult – and I am not exaggerating,' he said. Piastri blamed a change of wind direction. 'It basically did a 180 degrees from Q1 to Q3. It always seems pathetic, blaming the wind.' The Q1 segment began with clouds looming in a sunny sky and hot conditions with temperatures of 31 degrees (air) and 52 (track), falling as it became more overcast. The Williams duo were first out on softs, Alex Albon clocking 1:17.441 to set the pace. Hamilton frustrated Carlos Sainz locked up and returned to the pits as McLaren and Red Bull joined the action, Piastri dipping his left wheels into the gravel at Turn 12 as he went top, three-tenths clear of Norris and Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari. Verstappen was only 13th after the opening runs with Yuki Tsunoda 17th, clear confirmation of Red Bull's struggle for balance and pace while Aston Martin went late, as the track temperature fell 10 degrees, and Alonso went top in 1:15.281. The cooler track brought sharp improvements in a late reshuffle that saw Piastri top in 1:15.211 ahead of Alonso and Racing Bulls' rookie Isack Hadjar. Hamilton was 10th and Verstappen 11th. Tsunoda led the five eliminated ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon of Haas, Sauber's Nico Hulkeberg and Alex Albon of Williams. Rain began to fall at Turn Six, sending anxiety up the pit lane as they queued to start Q2. Alonso set the pace before Norris clocked 1:14.890 to go top, with Piastri second, the pair separated by 0.05. The first run left Leclerc 10th and Hamilton 11th, with work to do. Verstappen was eighth as the rain stopped ahead of the final runs and he stayed there, six-tents adrift, while Leclerc secured his passage to Q3 in sixth. Hamilton exited in 12th, his worst-ever qualifying position at the Hungaroring where he has claimed a record nine poles, along with Oliver Bearman of Haas, Sainz, Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Mercedes' rookie Kimi Antonelli. It was cooler still as Q3 began as the McLarens dominated with Piastri ahead of Norris by 0.096 and Russell third while Stroll had his lap deleted for exceeding track limits. Stroll and Alonso went early for their final runs, slotting in fourth and second, the Spaniard just 0.083 behind Piastri's first run before Leclerc snatched pole in the final seconds with his beautifully-judged late lap.
eNCA
8 hours ago
- eNCA
New dad McEvoy adds 'unreal' world swimming gold to Olympic title
SINGAPORE - New father Cam McEvoy powered to the 50m freestyle world gold on Saturday in Singapore to go with his Olympic crown. The 31-year-old Australian -- who is at his seventh world championships -- reclaimed the title he won in 2023. McEvoy turned on the afterburners in the second half of the sprint to win in 21.14sec. Britain's Ben Proud took silver in 21.26, with Jack Alexy of the United States in bronze in 21.46. McEvoy's son Hartley was born only last month and the swimming ace gave a shoutout to his family after victory. Being a father had given him a new outlook, he said. "Unreal, it's been a pretty hectic preparation," said McEvoy. "Just glad I got my hand on the wall first and in a great time.
eNCA
10 hours ago
- eNCA
Ledecky beats McIntosh to win 800m free thriller
SINGAPORE - American great Katie Ledecky beat Summer McIntosh to win a thrilling 800m freestyle title on Saturday and said her rule for the event is simple -- "I don't lose 800s". Ledecky won her seventh career gold in the event but she was challenged all the way, touching the wall in a championship-record 8min 05.62sec -- a fingertip ahead of Australia's Lani Pallister (8:05.98) and McIntosh (8:07.29). The race was billed as a potential changing of the guard between the 28-year-old Ledecky and McIntosh, a decade her junior and in red-hot form in Singapore. Pallister made sure she inserted her own name into the conversation but Ledecky had the final word, winning gold again in an event she has dominated for over a decade. "This is my favourite event, it was my first gold," said Ledecky, who made her international breakthrough in the event when she won at the London Olympics as a 15-year-old. "Even in practice, if I'm doing 800s I tell myself that. I kind of have this fake rule -- I don't lose 800s." It was Canadian sensation McIntosh's first defeat of the championships and ended her bid to match Michael Phelps as the only swimmer ever to win five individual golds at a single world championships. The 18-year-old has already won three golds this week in Singapore. Ledecky had too much staying power for her younger rival, with Pallister also in gold-medal contention right until the end. "They pushed me all the way," said Ledecky, a four-time Olympic champion in the event. "I'm just really happy I could put that together. I just kept telling myself to trust my legs." - 'I hate losing' - The eagerly anticipated race began with Ledecky, Pallister and McIntosh all setting a fast pace, with little between them in the opening stages. The lead changed hands several times but Ledecky, swimming between her two rivals, looked best-placed to strike for home. In the end it was the American celebrating with her country's flag on the pool deck after an epic race. "I just knew it was close the whole way, there were times where I thought someone was going to break away," said Ledecky. "I was just happy I was up there. You never know when you dive in what everyone's tactics are going to be." McIntosh is relatively new to the 800m freestyle but she threatened Ledecky's world record at the Canadian trials in June. She has another chance to add to her gold tally on the final day in Singapore on Sunday in the 400m individual medley, an event in which she broke the world record in June. "I hate losing more than I like winning and I think that's a mentality that I carried with myself through my entire career -- and that's my hand on the wall first most of the time," she said. "The feeling right now is something I never want to feel again."
