Latest news with #Maertens
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
McIntosh makes golden start as Australia win world relay double
SINGAPORE: Teenage phenomenon Summer McIntosh captured gold in ominous fashion on the opening day of the world swimming championships on Sunday as Australia claimed a relay double in Singapore. The 18-year-old Canadian launched her packed programme with a dominant performance in the women's 400m freestyle, romping home in 3min 56.26sec, nearly two seconds clear of China's Li Bingjie, who was followed by American great Katie Ledecky in bronze. It was world record holder McIntosh's first world title in the event as she pursues five individual golds in Singapore. With Australia's Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus skipping the championships before she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the race was billed as a showdown between McIntosh and Ledecky. But McIntosh grasped control early on and streaked further ahead as the race progressed. "I think the 400 freestyle in past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best and I haven't been where I want to be," she said. "So to finally stand on the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet." McIntosh, who broke three world records at the Canadian trials in the lead-up to the worlds, jumped straight back into the pool for the 200m medley semi-finals 20 minutes after winning gold. She qualified for the final with the fastest time, saying she was "in the best shape of my life." "Now I just have to act on that and put it into all of my races," she added. McIntosh was joined in Monday's 200m IM final by Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi. The schoolgirl, who juggles swimming with homework, squeezed into the final. "I'm in? Oh, I'm happy about that and I will continue to work harder," she said. "I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential." Germany's Lukas Maertens won a nail-biting gold in the men's 400m freestyle, pipping Australia's Sam Short by 0.02sec. Maertens, the Olympic champion and world record holder, became world champion in the event for the first time. German compatriot Florian Wellbrock won four golds in the open water events in Singapore and Maertens said their country had taken a "big step forward." "All the girls and guys are a really young team and there are a lot to come," he said. "Now I'm one of the old guys and I'm 23. That means a lot and I'm really proud to be in the German team." Maertens came home in 3min 42.35sec after a fierce battle with Short, the 2023 world champion. South Korea's Kim Woo-min, the reigning world champion, was third. Maertens was the favourite after breaking the world record in Stockholm in April, a mark that had stood since 2009. But Short fought him every stroke of the way, losing out after an incredible tussle to the finish. "There was a lot of pressure, also as the world record holder, it wasn't easy to fight these guys," said Maertens. Australia ended the opening night on a high after both their women's and men's teams won the 4x100m freestyle relays. The women's team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch came home ahead of the United States, with the Netherlands third. Flynn Southam, Kai James Taylor, Maximillian Giuliani and Kyle Chalmers then completed the double, finishing ahead of Italy and the Americans in the men's race. Their winning time of 3:08.97 was a world championship record. "We've come together really well in camp and preparation – we believed we could do it and we did it," said Chalmers. The US team is battling a stomach bug in the camp, with two competitors skipping their opening races. Torri Huske, a treble gold medallist at last year's Paris Olympics, and 18-year-old Claire Weinstein did not compete "so they could focus on other events", team official Nikki Warner told AFP. "Our team experienced acute gastroenteritis," Warner said. "No one has pulled out of the competition." Huske later competed in the relay final. — AFP
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
McIntosh makes golden start at World championships
Canada's Summer Mcintosh reacts after a semi-final of the women's 200m individual medley swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. PHOTO: AFP Teenage phenomenon Summer McIntosh captured gold in ominous fashion on the opening day of the world swimming championships on Sunday as Australia claimed a relay double in Singapore. The 18-year-old Canadian launched her packed programme with a dominant performance in the women's 400m freestyle, romping home in 3min 56.26sec, nearly two seconds clear of China's Li Bingjie, who was followed by American great Katie Ledecky in bronze. It was world record holder McIntosh's first world title in the event as she pursues five individual golds in Singapore. With Australia's Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus skipping the championships before she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the race was billed as a showdown between McIntosh and Ledecky. But McIntosh grasped control early on and streaked further ahead as the race progressed. "I think the 400 freestyle in past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best and I haven't been where I want to be," she said. "So to finally stand on the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet." McIntosh, who broke three world records at the Canadian trials in the lead-up to the worlds, jumped straight back into the pool for the 200m medley semi-finals 20 minutes after winning gold. She qualified for the final with the fastest time, saying she was "in the best shape of my life". "Now I just have to act on that and put it into all of my races," she added. McIntosh was joined in Monday's 200m IM final by Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi. The schoolgirl, who juggles swimming with homework, squeezed into the final. "I'm in? Oh, I'm happy about that and I will continue to work harder," she said. "I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential." Germany's Lukas Maertens won a nail-biting gold in the men's 400m freestyle, pipping Australia's Sam Short by 0.02sec. Maertens, the Olympic champion and world record holder, became world champion in the event for the first time. German compatriot Florian Wellbrock won four golds in the open water events in Singapore and Maertens said their country had taken a "big step forward". "All the girls and guys are a really young team and there are a lot to come," he said. "Now I'm one of the old guys and I'm 23. That means a lot and I'm really proud to be in the German team."
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Grieving Aussie swimmer Sam Short dedicates 400m freestyle silver medal to late auntie
Australian swimmer Sam Short has dedicated his 400m freestyle silver medal to his late auntie after tapping into her fight at the world championships. The 21-year-old, the 2023 world champion who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, couldn't hide his disappointment upon touching the wall. He had lost by just two hundredths of a second. Short overcame an early deficit to hit the lead with less than half the race remaining and still led by a fingernail with 50m to go. Neck-and-neck with Lukas Maertens right until the end, it was the Olympic champion Maertens who came up trumps. Maertens posted 3:42.35 to narrowly beat Short (3:42.37) while South Korea's Kim Woomin (3:42.60) finished third. Afterwards Short revealed the grief he had been carrying in the lead-up to the world championships in Singapore. 'I won two years ago by 0.02 and today I just lost by 0.02,' Short said. 'I'm happy to be back on the podium after a hard last year. So, you know, I can't complain. 'I just want to dedicate that performance there to my auntie who passed away a couple weeks ago. 'As bad I was hurting there, it's nowhere near as bad as her battling cancer for 10 years. So I had to toughen up and get it done.' In the stacked women's 400m freestyle field, Lani Pallister produced a personal-best 3:58.87 to finish fourth. Canadian world record holder Summer McIntosh (3:56.26) blitzed the field to win gold and China's Li Bingjie surged late to finish second, while the legendary Katie Ledecky had to be content with bronze. Australia's 400m Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus didn't feature after extended her post-Paris break from the pool. The relay events proved to be Australia's saviour on the opening night of the championships, propelling the nation to the top of the medal standings. First, Olivia Wunsch pulled off a huge late comeback to fire Australia to an upset victory over the US in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay. Then Kyle Chalmers achieved the same result for Australia's men, reeling in a sizeable lead from the US to snare gold. The Australian coaching staff celebrated wildly upon each victory. Australia entered Sunday night's 4x100m women's relay with a new-look team featuring Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Wunsch. The US were hot favourites to win, but Australia threw a spanner into the works by clawing their way into the lead by the time Wunsch dived into the water for the final leg. American Torri Huske quickly re-took the lead and held a half-length margin with 50m remaining before Woods came storming home to snatch victory. 'I definitely can't believe it,' Jansen told Nine. 'This is something that I wanted growing up. I was feeling very nervous coming into this, but it's just a dream come true.' Australia finished in a time of 3:30.60, with the US (3:31.04) in second. The Australian men followed suit, with the quartet of Chalmers, Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor and Maximillian Giuliani posting a world championship-record time of 3:08.97 to defeat Italy (3:09.58) and the fading US (3:09.64). 'I've kind of lost my voice already from cheering so hard,' Southam said. 'I'm just so happy to be here, and we all swam out of our skin, and we did it for the country, and we're so proud of ourselves.'
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Maertens makes golden start at swimming worlds
DPA Singapore Germany's Lukas Maertens added a world title to his 2024 Olympic gold when he triumphed in the 400-metres freestyle in Singapore on Sunday. It was the 23-year-old's first world championship gold. He touched the wall in 3 minutes 42.35 seconds, securing victory ahead of second-placed Samuel Short from Australia. Bronze went to South Korea's Kim Woo Min. 'I am very proud, very happy. It was not a given that I would pull this off. Sam Short is also in excellent form,' Maertens told reporters. 'This was the one title I was still missing. Now I have it. A lot of pressure has been lifted.' The swimming events in the pool at the World Aquatics Championships began on Sunday and run until next Sunday. Germany previously found success in the open water swimming events in Singapore, with Florian Wellbrock sealing three individual golds and helping Germany to mixed relay success. Maertens' impressive form this year was already evident in April when he broke Paul Biedermann's 16-year-old world record in the 400m freestyle with 3:39.96. He had previously only managed bronze and silver in the 400m at world championships. Maertens is also considered a top contender for gold in the 800m freestyle despite health problems in the run-up to Singapore. In the women's 400m freestyle, Canadian Summer McIntosh reigned supreme, putting China's Li Bingjie and US great Katie Ledecky in her wake. A time of 3:56.26 brought her a fifth world championship gold but first in this event, where she took silver at last year's Paris Olympics. In the 4x100m freestyle relays, Australia were unbeatable. The men set a world championship record of 3:08.97 with Flynn Southam, Kai James Taylor, Maximillian Guiliani and Kyle Chambers leaving Italy to settle for second and the US third. The Australian quartet of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch also won women's gold. The US took silver and the Netherlands bronze. There were reports of sickness in some camps earlier this week including the US team. Monday's highlights include men's 100m breaststroke, women's 100m butterfly, men's 50m fly and women's 200m medley.
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Today
Canada's McIntosh makes golden start; Australia wins world relay double
swimming By Andrew McKIRDY Teenage phenomenon Summer McIntosh captured gold in ominous fashion on the opening day of the world swimming championships on Sunday as Australia claimed a relay double in Singapore. The 18-year-old Canadian launched her packed program with a dominant performance in the women's 400 meters freestyle, romping home in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds, nearly two seconds clear of China's Li Bingjie, who was followed by American great Katie Ledecky in bronze. It was world record holder McIntosh's first world title in the event as she pursues five individual golds in Singapore. With Australia's Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus skipping the championships before she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the race was billed as a showdown between McIntosh and Ledecky. But McIntosh grasped control early on and streaked further ahead as the race progressed. "I think the 400 freestyle in past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best and I haven't been where I want to be," she said. "So to finally stand on the center of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet." McIntosh, who broke three world records at the Canadian trials in the lead-up to the worlds, jumped straight back into the pool for the 200 meters medley semifinals 20 minutes after winning gold. She qualified for the final with the fastest time, saying she was "in the best shape of my life". "Now I just have to act on that and put it into all of my races," she added. McIntosh was joined in Monday's 200 meters IM final by Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi. The schoolgirl, who juggles swimming with homework, squeezed into the final. "I'm in? Oh, I'm happy about that and I will continue to work harder," she said. "I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential." Germany's Lukas Maertens won a nail-biting gold in the men's 400 freestyle, pipping Australia's Sam Short by 0.02 seconds. Maertens, the Olympic champion and world record holder, became world champion in the event for the first time. German compatriot Florian Wellbrock won four golds in the open water events in Singapore and Maertens said their country had taken a "big step forward". "All the girls and guys are a really young team and there are a lot to come," he said. "Now I'm one of the old guys and I'm 23. That means a lot and I'm really proud to be in the German team." Maertens came home in 3 minutes, 42.35 seconds after a fierce battle with Short, the 2023 world champion. South Korea's Kim Woo-min, the reigning world champion, was third. Maertens was the favorite after breaking the world record in Stockholm in April, a mark that had stood since 2009. But Short fought him every stroke of the way, losing out after an incredible tussle to the finish. "There was a lot of pressure, also as the world record holder, it wasn't easy to fight these guys," said Maertens. Australia ended the opening night on a high after both their women's and men's teams won the 4x100 meters freestyle relays. The women's team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch came home ahead of the United States, with the Netherlands third. Flynn Southam, Kai James Taylor, Maximillian Giuliani and Kyle Chalmers then completed the double, finishing ahead of Italy and the Americans in the men's race. Their winning time of 3:08.97 was a world championship record. "We've come together really well in camp and preparation -- we believed we could do it and we did it," said Chalmers. The U.S. team is battling a stomach bug in the camp, with two competitors skipping their opening races. Torri Huske, a treble gold medallist at last year's Paris Olympics, and 18-year-old Claire Weinstein did not compete "so they could focus on other events", team official Nikki Warner told AFP. "Our team experienced acute gastroenteritis," Warner said. "No one has pulled out of the competition." Huske later competed in the relay final. © 2025 AFP
