Mollie O’Callaghan wins 200m freestyle world title in world record

FUKUOKA – Australian teen Mollie O’Callaghan just wanted to have fun at swimming’s World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and did not think of breaking any records.

But to her surprise, she set a new world mark in winning the women’s 200m freestyle in 1 minute 52.85 seconds on Wednesday, finishing ahead of compatriot Ariarne Titmus on 1min 53.01sec and Canadian Summer McIntosh on 1:53.65.

Titmus led for most of the race but O’Callaghan reeled her in over the home straight to touch the wall first. The previous world record was 1:52.98, set by Italian Federica Pellegrini at the 2009 World Championships.

“I’m just really shook at the moment because coming into this I did have an injury and I was just expecting to have fun,” O’Callaghan said.

“I’m absolutely excited. I just wanted to have fun and give it a crack. To come away with a world record is just amazing.

“I couldn’t really explain it in the moment. There were tears, there was happiness. It was very mixed emotions. I’m just so proud of myself to do that and it was such an unexpected moment.”

However, her win was not a big shock as the 19-year-old had fired a warning shot at the Australian trials in June, beating Titmus with the fastest time of 1:53.83.

Titmus is the Olympic champion in the 200m and 400m free and she was looking to claim a world double in Fukuoka.

She completed the first half on the competition’s opening night, beating American Katie Ledecky and McIntosh to win the 400m in a world-record time of 3:55.38.

Yang Junxuan of China, the 2022 200m free champion, did not defend her title in Fukuoka.

In other finals on Wednesday, Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui won the men’s 800m free, coming home in 7:37.00, ahead of Australia’s Sam Short on 7:37.76 and American Bobby Finke on 7:38.67.

Hafnaoui, Short and Germany’s Lukas Martens were neck and neck for almost the entire race until Hafnaoui pulled away over the home straight.

The Tunisian finally tasted victory after taking silver behind Short in the 400m free on the competition’s opening night.

“My last race, the 400, I just keep it in mind and try to go faster in the 800 and take the gold,” said the reigning Olympic 400m free champion.

“It’s too much adrenaline when you see all these guys next to you battling for the gold.”

France’s Leon Marchand clinched the men’s 200m butterfly to claim his second gold of the competition, following his 400m individual medley title.

The Frenchman won in 1:52.43, ahead of Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski on 1:53.62 and Japan’s Tomoru Honda on 1:53.66.

Defending 200m fly world and Olympic champion Kristof Milak of Hungary skipped the competition as he said he was “neither physically nor mentally in a position to be the best in the world”.

China’s Qin Haiyang won the men’s 50m breaststroke for his second gold of the championships. Qin, who won the 100m breaststroke title on Monday, finished in 26.29sec, ahead of American Nic Fink on 26.59sec and China’s Sun Jiajun on 26.79sec.

Britain’s Adam Peaty, a three-time 50m breaststroke world champion, skipped the competition to prioritise his mental health as well.

In the final event of the night, Qin then helped China clinch another gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay in a time of 3:38.57, a stunning win over Australia (3:39.03) and the Americans (3:40.19).

Singapore’s SEA Games champion Jonathan Tan clocked 49.08sec in the men’s 100m free heats to finish 34th and did not qualify for the semi-finals.
AFP, REUTERS