O'Callaghan closes on more world gold to banish post-Paris blues
The 21-year-old Australian former world record holder, who has spoken candidly about trying to live up to big expectations, was third-fastest in the heats in 1min 57.04sec.
New Zealand's 2024 silver medallist Erika Fairweather was fastest on day three of competition in Singapore in 1:56.54, ahead of Erin Gemmell of the United States (1:56.74).
O'Callaghan, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, is red-hot favourite in the event.
At the Australian trials last month she became emotional when talking about coming down from the high of the Olympics in the French capital a year ago.
"I don't think there's been anything as hard as this, coming here and trying to race and trying to, you know, defend my Olympic status in a way," she said in Adelaide in June.
She declined to talk to reporters following her heat on Tuesday in Singapore, where she had helped Australia win 4x100m freestyle relay gold on Sunday for her ninth world title.
O'Callaghan is also a gold-medal prospect in the 100m freestyle.
O'Callaghan arrived in Paris with her 200m freestyle world record just broken by fellow Australian Ariarne Titmus and under enormous pressure.
She rose to the occasion, edging Titmus to win gold. She was also a key part of Australia's 4×100m freestyle and 4×200m freestyle gold-medal winning teams.
Titmus is on a season-long break and not competing in Singapore.
Also on Tuesday morning, Ireland's Paris Olympics gold medallist and defending world champion Daniel Wiffen reached the final of the men's 800m freestyle eighth-fastest in 7:46.36.
Quickest was Tunisia's Ahmed Jaouadi (7:41.58), with Germany's Lukas Maertens also safely through in 7:45.54.
Maertens is chasing a Singapore double after victory in the 400m free.
China's 2023 triple world breaststroke champion Qin Haiyang, who reclaimed the 100m title on Monday, had plenty left in the tank to qualify for the 50m semi-finals in 26.98sec.
Italy's Simone Cerasuolo was quickest in the heats in 26.42sec.
There are five finals later Tuesday, with world record holder Katie Ledecky the overwhelming favourite in the 1500m freestyle.
The 28-year-old United States great is chasing a career 22nd world crown.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
Piastri leads Norris in McLaren's Hungarian GP practice dominance
FORMULA ONE championship leader Oscar Piastri beat team-mate and title rival Lando Norris by just three-hundredths of a second as McLaren dominated Saturday's third and final practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The two McLaren men clocked times of 1min 14.916 sec and 1:14.948 respectively to finish 0.399 clear of third-placed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and are separated by just 0.032 seconds. Piastri's best lap was three-tenths faster than Norris' pole lap last year and set up a thrilling duel in prospect for qualifying later on Saturday when rising temperatures, requiring additional cooling for the cars, will favour different teams. After his struggles in Belgium last weekend and on Friday in Hungary, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton bounced back to more familiar form by taking fourth place, three-tenths adrift of Leclerc. Four-time champion Max Verstappen wound up 12th for Red Bull. The close nature of the contest would have intrigued the visiting Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One's retired former ringmaster who negotiated the first Hungarian race, behind the 'iron curtain' in 1986. With 20 minutes gone, the big teams joined the fray. After his travails on Friday, Verstappen needed some improvement and quickly clocked 1:16.547 to go top only for Leclerc, George Russell and then Piastri to move clear. The Australian's lap of 1:16.240 lifted him clear of Russell, but it was not enough to resist the increased pace of Verstappen who went top in 1:16.202 -- half a second better than his Friday best. Contrary to Hamilton's struggles, Leclerc showed pace in his Ferrari to beat Verstappen after half an hour in 1:16.137, six-hundredths of a second clear, but Piastri returned to remind his rivals of his affinity with the circuit in 1:15.871. Somewhat unexpectedly, Hamilton then proved his overnight homework had been fruitful by rising to second, ahead of Leclerc, in 1:16.015, a reminder of his status as a record eight-time winner at the Hungaroring. Norris, at this time, was down in fifth, rising to third after 35 minutes, two-tenths adrift of Piastri who, after a pits visit, returned to clock 1:14.916, a lap faster than last year's pole, by Norris, by three-tenths. Norris followed him to overhaul Hamilton who stayed third seven-tenths adrift of the mighty McLarens before being pushed to fourth by Leclerc. - AFP
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Swimming-Walsh blocks out criticism of US team's performance at world championships
Swimming - World Aquatics Championships - Women 50m Freestyle - World Aquatics Championships Arena, Singapore - August 2, 2025 Gretchen Walsh of the U.S. during heat 11 REUTERS/Hollie Adams (Reuters) -Gretchen Walsh admits she struggles to understand the flak being directed at the U.S. team over their performance at the world championships in Singapore and said the swimmers have been competing under extremely difficult circumstances. The U.S. team were hit by an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis during a training camp in Thailand just before the championships, with several swimmers travelling late to Singapore and other having to pull out of events. On Friday, six-time Olympic champion Ryan Lochte shared an image on social media of a tombstone with the inscription: "In loving memory of United States Swimming. They set the bar high -- until they stopped reaching for it." He also added a caption referencing the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, saying: "Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years." U.S. swimming great Michael Phelps then shared Lochte's post and added: "Is this the wake-up call USA swimming needed?" Asked about the criticism Walsh, who won the 50 metres butterfly title on Saturday to add to her 100 crown in Singapore, said she was trying to ignore it. "I was made aware, and it's frustrating, but I think that personally, I am just trying to block it out and take on the meet with everything I can and just show up and race like I know how... "I think we've been dealing with a lot so it's hard to get the criticism in the first place because I don't think people quite understand the magnitude of everything going on behind the scenes. "But showing up, giving my best, and coming out a world champion twice now has been everything, and I'm just happy to keep doing it and happy that I'm feeling like myself again in the water." The U.S. top the medal standings with eight golds, one ahead of rivals Australia with one final day of competition to come. The U.S. have won only one individual gold in the men's events, Luca Urlando claiming the 200 butterfly title. Jack Alexy, who was part of the team that won the mixed 4x100 mixed freestyle gold in a world record time on Saturday, said U.S. athletes were always held to the highest of standards. "It's definitely fuel to the fire for the next couple years," added Alexy, who also has a silver and two bronze medals from his events in Singapore. "And the theme going into this meet was setting off the tone right for LA 2028. So I think we're continuing to do a better job at that, especially after tonight, and I'm really excited for the future." (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Swimming-Proud dad McEvoy going straight to the 'newborn trenches' a winner
Swimming - World Aquatics Championships - Men 50m Freestyle Finals - World Aquatics Championships Arena, Singapore - August 2, 2025 Australia's Cameron Mcevoy celebrates after winning the final REUTERS/Hollie Adams (Reuters) -With a newborn baby and another gold medal, life just keeps getting better for Cameron McEvoy, who became Australia's oldest world champion after winning his second 50 metres freestyle title in Singapore on Saturday. Since putting retirement plans on hold to reinvent himself as a bulked-up sprinter in 2022, the 31-year-old Gold Coast native has enjoyed a glorious late-career flourish and continues to push boundaries. The Olympic champion added another chapter to what should be a compelling post-career book as he saw off Briton's Ben Proud, the man he beat in Paris, for the 50 gold in Singapore with a cracking time of 21.14 seconds. McEvoy, who went through a 17-week training bloc to prepare for the meet, will now take a break from swimming to soak up the joys of fatherhood, having welcomed son Hartley into the world last month with wife Maddi. 'I'm going straight to the newborn trenches," said McEvoy, toting a plush toy for his boy. "I'll start to do the night routines, help Maddi, and just enjoy the bubble, really. "Maddi put the little (baby's) jumpsuit together, saying 'Number 1 fan, go Dad' on it. It was so cool to see. "Hopefully next time, they'll be in the stands, and that'll be even more special." Nicknamed "The Professor" in Australia, McEvoy is renowned for his cerebral approach to swimming, designing his own training programme and dispensing with traditional methods. He said his winning time was "really exciting for the longevity". "Not sure when I'll be back in (the pool), but I'm not stopping," he added. "Imagine telling myself in 2022 this is where I'd be. You couldn't write a script like that. "The dream lives on, right?" (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
