Latest news with #world championships
The Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Pieter Coetzé earns podium seeding after tight 100m backstroke semifinals
Pieter Coetzé bagged the third seeding position in Tuesday's 100m backstroke final at the world championships in Singapore after a pair of hard-fought semifinals on Monday night. The South African, who set a 51.99 sec world lead at the World Student Games in Germany just more than a week ago, touched second in the second heat in 52.29, behind Hungarian Hubert Kos, the Olympic champion in the 200m backstroke, in 52.21. Russian Kliment Kolesnikov won the first semifinal in 52.26, just nine-hundredths of a second ahead of the Olympic champion in this event, Italy's Thomas Ceccon, also owner of the 51.60 world record, who kept enough in reserve to clinch bronze in the 50m butterfly half an hour later. 'I just wanted to make it back for the final and I was happy with the time and the swim. And to get second in the semis is a good result,' said Coetzé, who is racing against Russian competitors, competing under the neutral banner, for the first time. 'I knew it was going to be fast ... I've swum with most of these guys, but the Russians are new to me. I haven't swum against them and they're also really fast, but I don't really focus on the people I'm racing against. I just focus on what I need to do.' Just 0.36 sec — or the blink of an eye — separated the eight fastest swimmers, who included Oliver Morgan of Britain (52.41), Apostolos Chrisou of Greece (52.44), Frenchman Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (52.47) and Russia's Miron Lifintsev (52.57).
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
EU reaches trade framework with Trump
July 27, 2025 | The EU has the framework of a new trade deal with the U.S., but doesn't escape Trump's tariffs. Israel pauses some fighting in Gaza and allows air drops of aid to resume. And, a golden start to the world championships for swimmer Summer McIntosh.
CNA
3 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Canada's McIntosh aces her 'biggest' night of world championships
Canadian Summer McIntosh was delighted to have made it through what she described as her toughest night at the world championships with a gold medal, saying her dominant showing on Sunday boded well for the remainder of the competition. McIntosh claimed gold in the women's 400 metres freestyle in three minutes and 56.26 seconds, nearly two seconds ahead of Chinese silver medallist Li Bingjie, with American great Katie Ledecky finishing in third place. The three-times Olympic champion did not have much time to savour her win, however, and exited quickly to prepare for the 200 individual medley (IM) semi-finals. Despite the tight schedule McIntosh was again in a class of her own, qualifying for the final more than a second ahead of her nearest rival. "While preparing mentally for this world championships, I thought tonight is my biggest night of the whole meet," the 18-year-old said. "So to come out with a gold medal and a really good, strong semi-final in the 200 IM, I'm really happy. "I've never done a double like that, and I think 400m free, at past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best, and I haven't been where I wanted to be. "To finally stand in the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet... I was very relaxed, just based off how I've been feeling this past couple of months, and especially in warm-up today, I felt really strong." McIntosh is coming into the competition on the back of a barnstorming Canadian trials last month, where she set world records in the 400 freestyle as well as the 200 IM and 400 IM.
Globe and Mail
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi takes stunning times to the world championships - and she's only 12
Yu Zidi of China is only 12 years old and will race at the world swimming championships later this month in Singapore. That's amazing. But her age is only part of the picture. Not only is she very young, but her times in three events this year are among the best in the world. And here's the kicker. Those times would have been very close to medals in last year's Paris Olympics. Again, she's 12. That's a sixth- or seventh-grade student depending on the school system. Not yet a teenager. 'I think it's a great story. I don't know where it will lead,' Greg Meehan, the national team director for the American squad in Singapore, told The Associated Press. As promising young swimmers do, Yu is clocking personal bests almost each time she competes. Her PBs are more than just confidence boosters, they put her in sight of records, medals and stardom. Yu has qualified in the 200- and 400-metre individual medleys, and the 200 butterfly. She could win a medal in all three. Her time of 2 minutes, 10.63 seconds in the 200 IM at the Chinese championships in May was the fastest ever by a 12-year-old swimmer – male or female – according to World Aquatics, the global governing body of the sport. That was only the start. Her time of 2:06.83 in the 200 butterfly in the same meet would have placed her fourth in last year's Paris Olympics. It was the fifth-fastest time in the world this year and would have been good enough for gold in the 2024 worlds. Again, Yu is 12 years old. To cap off the national championships she swam 4:35.53 in the 400 IM, the fifth-fastest time of the year in that event. That also would have been good for fourth place last year at the Olympics, just 0.6 behind bronze medalist Emma Weyant of the United States. Cathal Kelly: Summer McIntosh's star set to soar with Olympics still three years away The 400 IM is dominated by 18-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh, who holds the world record of 4:23.65 and the 200 IM mark of 2:05.70. She's a generational talent, the winner of three gold medals in Paris. By comparison, Yu at 12 is swimming roughly 15 seconds faster in the 400 IM than McIntosh did at 12, and about 12 seconds faster in the 200 IM. In a 50-metre pool, 12 to 15 seconds would be a half-lap of the pool, depending on the event. Yu is not the first young swimmer to excel, but it's how she's doing it – the stunning times and the promise of more to come. Of course there are no guarantees of success, and young swimmers can burn out. Yu said she began swimming at 6 in a water amusement park. 'The summer was too hot, and my dad took me to the water park,' she told China's official Xinhua News Agency. 'I enjoyed the coolness of the water and spent a lot of time in different small pools for kids. One day, a coach approached me and asked if I wanted to swim faster.' The rest is history, as they say, as she explained her event preference. 'Since I am not competitive in the sprint events, I have to choose the 400-metre individual medley and the 200-metre butterfly as my favourites,' Yu told Xinhua. 'My age is currently an advantage and I hope to grow and develop more strength in the future.' Yu trains at the Hebei Taihua Jinye Swimming Club in Hengshui City, south of Beijing in Hebei Province. Alzain Tareq of Bahrain swam in the 2015 worlds at only 10. She finished last in her event. World Aquatics now has stricter age rules than a decade ago. Swimmers must be at least 14 unless their times meet qualification standards. In effect, this means there is no age limit. If Yu were to win Olympic gold in three years in Los Angeles, she would be 15. But that wouldn't make her the youngest swimmer to take gold. Kyoko Iwasaki of Japan was 14 years and 6 days old when she won gold in the 200 breaststroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Swimmers tend to peak early, particularly females. The specialty publication and website SwimSwam lists seven swimmers — all women — who won Olympic gold before they turned 15. Three, including Iwasaki, did it in individual events, and four got gold in relays. American superstar Katie Ledecky was 15 years and 139 days when she won the 800 freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics — the first of her nine gold medals over four Olympics. She's still swimming and is the overwhelming favorite to win the 1,500 metres in Singapore. Ledecky has the top 23 times in history in the event, and also No. 25. For another jolting perspective, consider this. Ledecky's first gold came several months before Yu was born — Oct. 6, 2012. 'I have no idea what it's like to compete abroad,' Yu told Xinhua. 'I really want to experience the world-class competition.' The world is watching.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
12-year-old Yu Zidi of China takes stunning times to the world swimming championships
Yu Zidi of China is only 12 years old and will race at the world swimming championships later this month in Singapore. That's amazing. But her age is only part of the picture. Not only is she very young, but her times in three events this year are among the best in the world. And here's the kicker. Those times would have been very close to medals in last year's Paris Olympics. Again, she's 12. That's a sixth- or seventh-grade student depending on the school system. Not yet a teenager. 'I think it's a great story. I don't know where it will lead,' Greg Meehan, the national team director for the American squad in Singapore, told The Associated Press. The world is watching As promising young swimmers do, Yu is clocking personal bests almost each time she competes. Her PBs are more than just confidence boosters, they put her in sight of records, medals and stardom. Yu has qualified in the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys, and the 200 butterfly. She could win a medal in all three. Her time of 2 minutes, 10.63 seconds in the 200 IM at the Chinese championships in May was the fastest ever by a 12-year-old swimmer — male or female — according to World Aquatics, the global governing body of the sport. That was only the start. Her time of 2:06.83 in the 200 butterfly in the same meet would have placed her fourth in last year's Paris Olympics. It was the fifth-fastest time in the world this year and would have been good enough for gold in the 2024 worlds. Again, Yu is 12 years old. To cap off the national championships she swam 4:35.53 in the 400 IM, the fifth-fastest time of the year in that event. That also would have been good for fourth place last year at the Olympics, just 0.6 behind bronze medalist Emma Weyant of the United States. Faster than McIntosh at 12 The 400 IM is dominated by 18-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh, who holds the world record of 4:23.65 and the 200 IM mark of 2:05.70. She's a generational talent, the winner of three gold medals in Paris. By comparison, Yu at 12 is swimming roughly 15 seconds faster in the 400 IM than McIntosh did at 12, and about 12 seconds faster in the 200 IM. In a 50-meter pool, 12 to 15 seconds would be a half-lap of the pool, depending on the event. Yu is not the first young swimmer to excel, but it's how she's doing it — the stunning times and the promise of more to come. Of course there are no guarantees of success, and young swimmers can burn out. Started out as fun Yu said she began swimming at 6 in a water amusement park. 'The summer was too hot, and my dad took me to the water park," she told China's official Xinhua News Agency. 'I enjoyed the coolness of the water and spent a lot of time in different small pools for kids. One day, a coach approached me and asked if I wanted to swim faster." The rest is history, as they say, as she explained her event preference. 'Since I am not competitive in the sprint events, I have to choose the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly as my favorites,' Yu told Xinhua. "My age is currently an advantage and I hope to grow and develop more strength in the future.' Yu trains at the Hebei Taihua Jinye Swimming Club in Hengshui City, south of Beijing in Hebei Province. Alzain Tareq of Bahrain swam in the 2015 worlds at only 10. She finished last in her event. World Aquatics now has stricter age rules than a decade ago. Swimmers must be at least 14 unless their times meet qualification standards. In effect, this means there is no age limit. Looking to LA Olympics If Yu were to win Olympic gold in three years in Los Angeles, she would be 15. But that wouldn't make her the youngest swimmer to take gold. Kyoko Iwasaki of Japan was 14 years and 6 days old when she won gold in the 200 breaststroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Swimmers tend to peak early, particularly females. The specialty publication and website SwimSwam lists seven swimmers — all women — who won Olympic gold before they turned 15. Three, including Iwasaki, did it in individual events, and four got gold in relays. American superstar Katie Ledecky was 15 years and 139 days when she won the 800 freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics — the first of her nine gold medals over four Olympics. She's still swimming and is the overwhelming favorite to win the 1,500 meters in Singapore. Ledecky has the top 23 times in history in the event, and also No. 25. For another jolting perspective, consider this. Ledecky's first gold came several months before Yu was born — Oct. 6, 2012. 'I have no idea what it's like to compete abroad," Yu told Xinhua. 'I really want to experience the world-class competition.' The world is watching. ___ AP sports: Stephen Wade, The Associated Press
