Let's embrace talent at the World Aquatics Championships, wherever they come from

Straits Times

a day ago

Embrace the democracy of talents – unless there is evidence for doubt. That is the challenge for officials, coaches, swimmers, media and fans as the swimming competition kicks off at the World Swimming Championships on July 27. It is a message worth repeating, for within the global community, there remains a tendency to celebrate talents from traditional powerhouses while casting a suspicious eye on those who emerge from less familiar shores.
Take, for instance, the glowing global media coverage of Canada's Summer McIntosh and France's Leon Marchand. Their amazing versatility, underlined by their dazzling world records, have been much celebrated. And rightly so, for they and other rare young talents deserve accolades for their dedication and brilliance.
The problem lies in the contrast.
When China's Pan Zhanle
stunned the field in the men's 100m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the focus quickly shifted – not to his blistering speed but to suspicion. How could he possibly be that fast? That dominant? In Paris he was remarkably fast, clocking 46.40 seconds for a world record, well ahead of big names like Australia's Kyle Chalmers and Romania's David Popovici.
Yet, if one were to compare margins of victory and times, McIntosh and Marchand were arguably even more dominant in their respective events. Doubts did not surface on whether they were for real. In the 400 individual medley, McIntosh's current world mark of 4:23.65 is some 10 seconds faster than other top swimmers in this event. That is eternity in a sport where so little separates the best from the rest, though McIntosh is clearly a generational talent.
The point is: do not taint young talents – whether they hail from the United States, Australia, Canada, France, China or anywhere else – unless there is credible reason to do so.
The championships are expected to unveil a new generation of sensational swimmers. Beyond McIntosh, Marchand and Pan, there are the Americans with their seemingly endless supply of talents. Gretchen Walsh, for instance, has been making waves with her explosive speed in the 100m butterfly. Her new world mark of 54.60 seconds – set earlier in 2025 – might have defied belief, given how dipping below a minute was once the hallmark of world-class excellence. And yet, the right instinct is not to question her feat but to stand in awe at the expanding frontier of human possibility.
Aside from Pan, there is the case of his teammate, 12-year-old Yu Zidi, who
turned heads at a meet in China in May . Her times in the 200m IM and 400m IM would have placed her competitively at the Paris Olympics. Yet there is already unease in some quarters – concerns that if she does too well in Singapore, her achievements may be met not with admiration but with suspicion.
Other Chinese swimmers like former teenage prodigy Ye Shiwen and Qin Haiyang have also faced scepticism from some critics after their sensational results on the world stage. The pattern is familiar, and troubling.
Sure, China – like several other nations – has faced historical scrutiny over doping in swimming and various other sports. Its situation is complicated by the relative reticence of its athletes, who tend to speak less freely than their counterparts elsewhere. This silence often fuels a convenient guilt by association, particularly when the international media also show limited curiosity in pursuing the nuanced stories of its breakout stars.
Still, one needs to start somewhere. On this note, let's hope the Singapore meet will leave a better legacy - one marked by respect for swimmers from all nations.
Often, this begins with a better-informed public. It is easy to accept the brilliance of swimmers like McIntosh, Marchand and Walsh. They are well-covered in international media and their stories are known. Their progress is documented. So when they win, it feels natural. But when swimmers who have not been featured as much in the press triumph, it can feel as if their success has come out of nowhere. Often, it is the result of years of unseen toil, though there have been cases of cheating unfortunately.
When reporting on international sports meets, I've noticed how well-versed the global media are in the stories of say, Australian athletes. The highly talented Lani Pallister, for example, may not be a household name beyond the swimming circles. But many already know she is the daughter of Olympian Janelle Pallister (Elford). Similarly, the lineage of the highly decorated Emma McKeon - whose uncle Rob Woodhouse is a two-time Olympian - is well documented.
Familiarity breeds trust, and trust shapes perception.
One can take a cue from athletics, where there is a sense of the democracy of talents. It is generally accepted that brilliance can emerge from anywhere. While the US boasts sprinting talents like Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley, the world was ready to embrace Jamaica's Kishane Thompson and Botswana's Letsile Tebogo when they lit up the track at the Paris Olympics.
So, at this championships, let's celebrate brilliance, wherever it may come from. Scrutinise by all means, for everyone values fairness and no one wants to support cheaters. But let's keep an open mind and honour the egalitarian spirit of talent. The sport is all the more luminous when the likes of Hungary's Kristof Milak, South Africa's Tatjana Smith and Singapore's Joseph Schooling ascend the world stage alongside stars such as Mollie O'Callaghan (Australia), Duncan Scott (Britain) and US' Katie Ledecky.
Singapore awaits a spectacle in the swimming pool and I, for one, will be watching McIntosh with interest, not only for her remarkable artistry but also for the rise of an unsung talent from elsewhere. In either case, I will applaud.