Swimming: McIntosh, Ledecky set up 800m world title showdown - Omni sports
American great Ledecky, 28, is the undisputed master in the event, having won the title at the last four Olympics and updating her own world record in May this year.
But McIntosh, 10 years Ledecky's junior, is in the mood to snatch her crown as she looks to join Michael Phelps as the only swimmer to win five individual titles at a single world championships.
The 18-year-old Canadian has already bagged three golds from three events in Singapore and she clocked the third-fastest 800m freestyle time ever in June.
The other nine times on the top 10 all belong to Ledecky but McIntosh's form suggests a changing of the guard could be on the cards.
Ledecky fired the first shots in Friday morning's heats, qualifying for Saturday's final fastest in a time of 8min 14.62sec, with McIntosh third in 8:19.88.
McIntosh said she felt in good shape after winning 200m butterfly gold the previous night, and she had the rest of the day and the following morning to recover before the final.
"I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to this morning," McIntosh said after her heat.
"I've been recovering really well, probably the best I ever have in a big meet like this.
"We're on day six so to feel like this is really promising."
Titanic tussle
Ledecky made her international breakthrough in the 800m free, winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 15.
She went on to dominate the event for more than a decade and showed that she still had plenty to offer in June when she smashed her own world record, which had stood since 2016.
McIntosh also headed to Singapore in red-hot form, breaking three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in June.
McIntosh and Ledecky have already had their first head-to-head in Singapore, with McIntosh coming out on top to win gold in the 400m free.
The Canadian is a relative newcomer to the 800m free but she safely negotiated the heats with the minimum of fuss.
"My goal was just to win my heat to pretty much secure that I'll get a lane for tomorrow night's final and do that with the least amount of energy possible," she said.
"I'm just trying to get through it because I've never really done 800 heats before so I don't know what to expect.
"I'm just glad it's over and done with now."
Australia's Lani Pallister and Italy's Simona Quadarella will also hope to stand on the podium after Saturday's race but all eyes will be on Ledecky and McIntosh in the battle for gold.
"Having all those girls around me will definitely push me to a really good time and I'm really excited to race Katie tomorrow night," said McIntosh.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
10 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Brazil's Paixao promises 'big things' at Marseille unveiling - World
Brazil striker Igor Paixao was unveiled at Marseille on Monday as he vowed to deliver in Ligue 1 the form and ambition he showed at Feyenoord. The 25-year-old scored 18 goals and provided 19 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions last season, before his 35 million euros ($40 million) switch to Marseille on a five-year deal. After finishing runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain last year, Marseille will play in the Champions League in the upcoming campaign where Paixao can link up with former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood. Paixao said he owed it to Marseille to give everything, and that this matched his ambition to make the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. "Marseille is a club with values. That's very important for me, for everyone. I want to give my all... It's a major responsibility and I think we're going to do big things," he said. Paixao added he was inspired by former Marseille player Franck Ribery. "With his dribbling, his goals, Ribery was an exceptional player, I will try to be like him, to be able to make history with this club," he said. Paixao earned one Brazil under-23 cap in 2023. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
15 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Bayer Leverkusen extends Patrik Schick's contract until 2030 - World
Bayer Leverkusen has extended a contract for Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick until 2030, the German Bundesliga club said on Monday. Schick's original deal was to expire in 2027. The announcement came after a string of key players left the club this off-season. They include midfielder Granit Xhaka, attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, right back Jeremie Frimpong and defender Jonathan Tah — all crucial to Leverkusen's league and cup double in 2024. Also, coach Xabi Alonso departed for Real Madrid. Schick was Leverkusen's top scorer last season with 27 goals in 45 games and scored a total of 64 goals in the Bundesliga for the club since his arrival in 2020. Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who was appointed in May to replace Alonso, is faced with a big rebuild due to the departures. Leverkusen's off-season spending so far has gone on American attacking midfielder Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven and former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, while the club's also signed Brentford's highly-rated goalkeeper Mark Flekken. 'Bayer 04 is working hard to assemble a top team for the future,' Schick said. 'I firmly believe that we will continue to play a significant role in the Bundesliga and in Europe.' (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
17 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Kick-off time of August Egyptian League games adjusted due to heat: EPL - Egyptian Football
The kick-off time of the Egyptian Premier League's new season games in August has been adjusted due to high temperatures, the Egyptian Pro League (EPL) announced on Monday. 'For the sake of players and fans upon the request of clubs and after arrangement with authorities, the kick-off time of league matches during August has been changed. Games will start at 6pm and 9pm instead of 5pm and 8pm,' read an EPL statement. The 2025-2026 season will kick off on 8 August and feature 21 teams competing in a two-phase format. Defending champions Ahly will begin their campaign against Modern Sport, while their fierce rivals Zamalek will face Ceramica Cleopatra. In the league's first phase, each team will play 20 matches in a single round-robin format. The top seven teams will then advance to a title-deciding championship group, while the remaining 14 clubs will battle to avoid relegation in a separate group. At the conclusion of the second phase, four teams from the lower group will be relegated. Final rankings in both groups will take into account the points accumulated in the first phase and the results of direct encounters within each group. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
