Qatar's bid for 2036 Olympics
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Qatar Tribune
5 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
McIntosh and Marchand clinch medley doubles; Tunisian Jaouadi claims distance double
DPA Singapore Canada's Summer McIntosh stormed to her fourth gold from five individual events at the World Aquatics Championships on Sunday in the 400 metres medley, and French star Leon Marchand was almost as dominant in the men's race. Marchand also got a silver on the final day of competition as part of the French team in the 4x100m medley relay which was won by the neutral athletes from Russia. McIntosh was not so lucky as Canada placed fifth in the women's relay where the US team of Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh and Terri Huske clocked a world record 3 minutes 49.34 seconds. While McIntosh and Marchand won both medley events, Tunisia's Ahmed Jaouadi followed up on his 800m gold with victory in the 1,500m freestyle where German Florian Wellbrock failed to get a fifth Singapore gold after a sweep of all four open water events. McIntosh clocked a championship record 4:25.78 seconds for an eighth career world title in the 400m medley, finishing a massive 7.48 seconds ahead of Australian Jenna Forrester and Mio Narita of Japan, who shared silver. Triple Olympic champion McIntosh had earlier in Singapore won the 200m medley, 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle. Her bid for a golden sweep of five individual golds did not happen when she had to settle for bronze in the 800m freestyle. In the men's race, Marchand was in a league of his own en route to victory in 4:04.73 minutes, 3.59 seconds ahead of Japan's Tomoyuki Matsushita. Ilia Borodin, a neutral athlete from Russia, earned bronze. Marchand only competed in the 200m and 400m medley in Singapore, and not in the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke which he had also won at the home Olympics last year in Paris for four golds. He now has seven world titles. In the 1,500m, Jaouadi pulled away from Sven Schwarz of Germany in the final 100 metres for an identical one-two finish as in the 800m. Jaouadi clocked 14:34.41 minutes, with Schwarz 1.28 seconds back. American Bobby Finke, the twice Olympic champion and world record holder, earned bronze 2.19 seconds behind the winner. 'I know that everyone was feeling the pain and maybe I was the strongest mentally,' Jaouadi said. Wellbrock had led the heats but failed to get a second gold over the distance, two weeks after claiming an unprecedented sweep of the four open water golds. He finished almost 10 seconds off the pace in fifth. Elsewhere, Kliment Kolesnikov lived up to his top billing with 50m backstroke gold in 23.68 seconds ahead of fellow Russian Pawel Samusenko and South African Pieter Coetze, who shared silver .49 of a second back. 'It was a tough years since my first world championships. I didn't think I would be so fast,' said Kolesnikov, who missed his world record by a mere 13-hundredths. Kolesnikov got his first gold after a silver and two bronze in 2019, having not been eligible at the last three worlds due to sanctions against Russia which can now send athletes again. Coetze got his third Singapore medal, to go with 100m gold and 200m silver. Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte got a fourth straight women's 50m breastroke gold in 29.55 seconds for a total tally of six world titles, while American great Lilly King missed the podium in fifth place in her last career race. 'This is what I wanted to do my whole life. I am very grateful,' the triple Olympic and 11-time world champion King said. There was also no podium for team-mate Walsh in the 50m freestyle as the 100m butterfly champion came home fourth, with gold going to Australia'a Meg Harris in 24.02. But Walsh then returned later for relay gold ahead of Australia.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Ledecky wins 800m thriller; US also win relay in world record
DPA Singapore American icon Katie Ledecky had to fight like rarely before to secure a seventh 800 metres freestyle world title in a thriller, and the American mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team stormed to gold in world record time on Saturday. Ledecky had to give her all to secure a 23rd career world title as she was pushed to the limit by Australian Lani Pallister and Canadian star Summer McIntosh from the start to finish. Ledecky edged Pallister by a mere .32 of a second as she clocked a championship record 8 minutes 5.62 seconds, missing her world record by just 1.5 seconds. McIntosh, who briefly led with 100m to go, earned bronze in her first major 800m duel with Ledecky, 1.67 seconds back. McIntosh had earlier in Singapore won 400 freestyle, 200m medley and 200m butterfly gold. 'It was incredibly fast, they pushed me all the way,' nine-time Olympic champion Ledecky said. In the concluding relay, Jack Alexy set the Americans on course, and Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass and Torri Huske kept up the pace for gold in a world record 3:18.48 minutes. The neutral athletes from Russia clocked a European record 3:19.68 for silver and France got the bronze. Elsewhere, American Gretchen Walsh and Maxime Grousset of France completed 50m and 100m butterfly doubles, and Australia's Kaylee McKeown continued her backstroke dominance. Walsh came home in 24.83 seconds over 50m to finish almost half a second ahead of Australian Alexandria Perkins, who trailed by .48. The 100m silver medallist Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium got bronze. 'I am very proud, it was a great swim after such a rocky week,' said Walsh, referring to a virus that had hit the American and some other teams. Grousset completed his double with victory in the 100m in 49.62 seconds. Swiss Noe Ponti was .21 back for silver and the bronze went to Canada's Ilya Kharun. 'I have more strength and power now, and it just flows,' Grousset said, underlining this again a little later as part of the bronze medal winning relay team. Twice Olympic champion McKeown was on fire on the home straight en route to a third 200m backstroke world title in 2 minutes 3.33 seconds, just shy of her world record. Regan Smith of the US trailed by .96 of a second for a fourth silver at the championships, and team-mate Claire Curzan took bronze. Australia's Cameron McEvoy beat Briton Ben Proud for the 50 metres freestyle world title, one-year after also beating him for gold at the Paris Olympics. McEvoy clocked 21.14 seconds in the Singapore pool as he held off Proud by 12 hundredths for a second worlds gold over the distance, the first coming in 2023. American Jack Alexy got bronze. American Gretchen Walsh meanwhile added the 50m butterfly gold to that from the 100m in dominant fashion. Walsh came home in 24.83 seconds to finish almost half a second ahead of Australian Alexandria Perkins, who trailed by .48. The 100m silver medallist Roos Vanotterdijk got bronze. 'I am very proud, it was a great swim after such a rocky week,' said Walsh, referring to a virus that had hit the American and some other teams. Twice Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown was on fire on the home straight as the Australian got a third 200m backstroke world title in 2 minutes 3.33 seconds, just shy of her world record. Regan Smith of the US trailed by .96 of a second for a fourth silver at the championships, and team-mate Claire Curzan took bronze.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Zverev hopes to be US Open contender after burnout phase
DPA Berlin Alexander Zverev is confident that he can be a title contender again by the time the US Open start later this month, after admitting to wrong decisions and a phase of burnout earlier this year culminating in a first-round exit at Wimbledon. World number three Zverev told the Nothing Major podcast that it all went downhill after he got 'smoked' by Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final in January. 'A lot of the time I have felt quite lost on the court, especially after the Australian Open final. I had a tough time mentally after that match. I feel I made a few mistakes,' he said. 'Instead of going home, resting, realising what happened and working through it I spent three days at home and then went straight to Argentina. I shouldn't have done that looking back.' Zverev did not get beyond the quarter-finals in three February tournaments in South and central America, and his only title this year came later in Munich. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion said he had 'a little bit of a burnout for a couple of months. 'I wasn't feeling very motivated to play, not very motivated to practice, and enjoying my time on the court. I was losing quite a lot of matches. I paid the price for that,' he said. Zverev then admitted to mental problems after his early Wimbledon exit, but said he 'made the best out of it' afterwards. 'I pulled out of a few tournaments, I took time off and I do feel fresher, and fresher in my mind to compete again,' added Zverev, who returned this week in Toronto for the Rodgers Cup masters event. Zverev reached his first of three grand slam finals, which he all lost, at the New York grand slam in 2020. This year's edition starts on August 24. Zverev trained for several days at the academy of former great Rafael Nadal in Mallorca, and reiterated his hope that Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, can be at his side more often from next year. 'He believes that I can win a major, but only if I play with more courage. I know that, but it is different to hear it from him,' Zverev said. Swiatek and Anisimova advance in Montreal Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Germany's Eva Lys at the National Bank Open in Montreal, wrapping up the match in just over an hour. Jessica Pegula's bid for a third straight Montreal title was ended by world number 386 Anastasija Sevastova. The Latvian, a former world number 11 who has had lengthy spells out on maternity leave and with a torn ACL, beat the third seed 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Emma Raducanu was dumped out as she went down 6-2, 6-1 to American fifth seed Amanda Anisimova.
