Swimming World has reported that US star and Olympic champion Torri Huske was one athlete struck down by illness. Huske is Mollie O’Callaghan’s main rival in the 100m freestyle event and an important figure for the US in their 4x100m freestyle relay team on night one.
That opening night in Japan — where Australia picked up four gold medals and two world records across five events — was arguably the most dominant two-hour stretch in Australian swimming history.
Ariarne Titmus receives a cheque for $US20,000 for breaking the women’s 400m freestyle world record in 2023. Credit: AP
Sam Short and Ariarne Titmus won their 400m freestyle finals, while the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams defeated the US in memorable fashion.
Since the world championships began in 1973, Australia had never claimed four gold medals on the same day.
However, fans tuning into Sunday’s action in Singapore should temper expectations. A repeat of Fukuoka seems unlikely.
Australia’s “crazy” start in Fukuoka, in the words of since-retired Olympic great Emma McKeon, set the Dolphins on the path to a record haul of 13 gold medals, six more than their American rivals. Even half that in Singapore would be considered a strong return.
The reason? Australia and the US have taken different approaches since the Paris Olympics.
Most of the USA’s top swimmers had a shorter break after Paris. They swim more often at big meets, and many are entrenched in the college system. For them, posting fast times all year round is a non-negotiable.
The USA narrowly beat Australia on the swimming medal tally at Paris 2024, eight golds to seven.
Many of Australia’s elite swimmers have taken a slower path, mindful of the long road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. On the whole, swimmers’ times at last month’s Australian trials in Adelaide were not spectacular.
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, centre, wins one of her five gold medals, for the women’s 200-metre backstroke.Credit: AP
Titmus is the biggest name missing in Singapore — instead calling races for Channel Nine, the publisher of this masthead — though part of her will surely wish she was racing Ledecky and Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh.
McKeown, who swept the backstroke events in Fukuoka, is again Australia’s leading gold medal hope in the 50m, 100m and 200m events.
O’Callaghan is also hunting glory in the 100m and 200m freestyle after taking out both events two years ago.
Short and Elijah Winnington, both world champions, are the best individual medal chances on night one in the men’s 400m freestyle.
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Cam McEvoy returns in the 50m freestyle after Olympic gold in Paris. Kyle Chalmers is chasing world championship gold in the 100m freestyle but will need to beat world record-holder Pan Zhanle, who took gold in Paris.
There will be no shortage of global talent in Singapore. McIntosh is attempting to become the first swimmer since Michael Phelps to win five individual golds at a single world championships.
And French star Leon Marchand — who trained with Australian coach Dean Boxall earlier this year and spent much of his downtime surfing — is eyeing world records in the 200m and 400m individual medley events after dropping the 200m butterfly and breaststroke events from his program.
Marchand won four individual gold medals in front of his home French crowd last year – including two in one night.
“I think he needed a mental break,” said Marchand’s coach Bob Bowman, who also looked after Phelps. “I think he needed to go away to Australia to get out of France for a while.”
World Aquatics Championships Singapore. Exclusive, live and free on the 9 Network and 9Now.
