Latest news with #WorldAquaticChampionships
Daily Maverick
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
SA's Pieter Coetzé clinches gold at World Aquatics Championships in Singapore
South Africa earned their first medal at the World Aquatics Championships after star swimmer Pieter Coetzé claimed gold in the 100m backstroke on Tuesday. South African swimming sensation Pieter Coetzé won the gold medal in the 100m backstroke final at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore on Tuesday. Coetzé is the first South African medallist at this year's championships. The 21-year-old raced home in 51.85 seconds, an African record in the event. Despite dominating local pools and smaller competitions, it was Coetzé's first world senior title. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris last year, he finished fifth in the same event, with a time of 52.58. The winner was Italy's Thomas Ceccon, who completed the two-lap event in 52 seconds flat. On this occasion, it was Coetzé who touched the wall quickest, ahead of Ceccon, who finished second in 51.90 seconds. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard of France took the bronze medal in 51.92 seconds. Coetzé was a mere 0.25 seconds off Ceccon's world record. 'I always thought it would happen eventually,' said Coetzé, referring to his first senior world title. 'In my mind, it was just a matter of time, but to do it this year is amazing. 'It was awesome. The competition was very deep here, so there were eight guys who could have won it. 'Every time I break [the African record], I'm really happy with it. 'I can't explain, but it was more about the win tonight than the time, so if I won with a second slower time, it would still be as good. In the final, you don't really think about the time at all.' A backstroke clinic Coetzé's first 50m weren't that quick, and he dropped to fourth place in the opening lap, after qualifying third-fastest in his semifinal. But his turn at the wall was faultless, and he picked up speed underwater before turning on the afterburners as Russian swimmer Kliment Kolesnikov slipped from pole position. The big push came in the final 20m, when Coetzé took the lead for the first time and didn't let it slip, reaching out and touching the wall ahead of Ceccon. It was the second time the talented young athlete had claimed a win in sub-52, after he took home gold at the World University Games earlier this month, finishing in 51.99 seconds — an African record at the time. 'The University Games prepared me really well,' said Coetzé. 'The guys went fast there as well. But I'm over the moon. It was anyone's game. I knew that going into it, and to get away with the win is awesome.' The superstar swimmer still has the 50m and 200m backstroke events to come at the World Aquatics Championships. Other SA contenders Earlier in the evening, Coetzé's teammate Chris Smith booked his ticket to the final of the 50m breaststroke. The 19-year-old won his morning heat in 26.82 seconds and then went even better in the evening semifinals, finishing second in a personal best time of 26.77 seconds, behind Koen de Groot (26.71). That saw him through to Wednesday's final as the joint fifth-fastest. The other South African in action in the evening session was Aimee Canny, who had finished third in her morning heat in 1:57.53 to qualify eighth fastest for the 200m freestyle semifinals. She went slightly slower in the semifinal, finishing in sixth place in 1:57.72, missing out on the final in 12th overall. Apart from Smith taking to the blocks for the 50m breaststroke final, Wednesday's programme will see Olivia Nel, fresh from her four medals at the World University Games, lining up in the heats of the 50m backstroke, while Matt Sates is in the 200m individual medley and the South Africans will be in action in the mixed 4x100m medley relay. DM
Irish Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Daniel Wiffen makes worrying admission as difficult week at Worlds continues
Olympic and World champion Daniel Wiffen confessed to feeling weak after scraping into the 800m freestyle final at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore today. The 24-year-old could only manage fifth place in his heat and earned the last qualifying spot in Wednesday's final but will be in an outside lane. "I mean, obviously pretty disappointed with the overall swim of the 800," said Wiffen afterwards. "But we've got a lane, so we've got a chance to defend my title, and I'm going in with that mindset that I can win this still, even though I'm eighth in." This is Wiffen's most successful event - he won the Worlds in Doha last year before claiming Olympic gold in Paris. But while he claimed prior to the Worlds that a recent bout of appendicitis wasn't affecting him, perhaps that is the cause of a tough week to date after he failed to make the final of 400m freestyle on Sunday "I just feel really weak at the moment," said Wiffen. "I felt it in the 400m and then I felt it in the 800 free, so something's going wrong. I just need to figure out what it is and then change it for tomorrow night's final.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
China's divers continue to dominate at World Aquatics Championships
Wang Zongyuan and Zheng Jiuyuan of China in action during the World Aquatics Championship Men's 3m Synchronised Diving final held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 28. SINGAPORE – China extended their diving dominance at the World Aquatic Championships (WCH) at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 28, taking their tally to five golds out of six events. On July 28, Wang Zongyuan and Zheng Jiuyuan claimed gold in the men's 3m synchronised springboard with 467.31 points from six dives, ahead of Mexico's Osmar Olvera Ibarra and Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez (449.28) and Britain's Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding (405.33) Wang, who has now won this event for the fourth consecutive time at the WCH, was without regular dive partner Long Daoyi, with whom he also clinched gold at the Paris Olympics. 'It's a new pairing for these world championships,' Wang, 23, said in Mandarin. 'It's the first time he (Zheng) and I have competed in a synchronised event together and both of us were actually very nervous and felt a lot of pressure. 'I think everyone should still see our pairing with a balanced mindset… I've experienced four editions of these competitions (WCH). I think everyone (his partners) has his own characteristics and strengths. 'To outsiders, it does seem relatively easy for us. But actually, from the last training cycle until now, I've also had injuries, especially back problems as I get older. But since I've chosen to dive, I believe I have to keep going.' His 21-year-old partner Zheng, who won his second gold in as many days after the men's 1m springboard title, added: 'Brother Wang always tells me not to pay attention to the scores, so I don't know about the opponents' scores. 'I only know that I had to perform my own dive well. And that if we completed the last dive well, we would be champions.' Despite missing out on the gold, the Mexican duo, also silver medallists at Paris 2024, are pretty happy with their performance. Hernandez said: 'There are some details that I still need to work on personally and we beat our Paris score, so we're just trying to keep matching and breaking our personal bests at every competition. 'We believe in what we're working with coach Ma Jin, and we'll just put our head down and keep working. Whatever she says, we'll do. 'We're trying to do higher-difficulty dives, because we can and, I guess, we'll make the competition a little more interesting.' Laugher, who had finished third at the Olympics and fifth in the last edition of the WCH with Harding, said: 'Our last world championships in Doha, we had a bit of a shocker. 'That was the Olympic year and we crowned it off with an Olympic bronze. Me and Anthony are an experienced pair now, we've got a lot going for us. 'Today was a really difficult challenge – the Chinese and the Mexicans were really on form… We've learnt a lot and, for us now, it's a bit of deserved time off and then we move forward into the next year.' In the women's 10m synchronised platform, China's Chen Yuxi and Zhang Minjie took home the gold with 349.26 points after five rounds of diving, ahead of Mexican duo Alejandra Estudillo Torres and Gabriela Agundez Garcia (304.80) and North Korea's Jo Jin Mi and Kim Mi Hwa (293.34). China's fans showing their support for Chinese divers Chen Yuxi and Zhang Minjie after the duo won the World Aquatics Championship women's 10m synchronised platform diving final. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG China were cheered on by a section of raucous supporters and the duo were given a standing ovation after their final dive. Chen, 19, who had won the mixed team event on July 26 and fourth consecutive gold in the women's 10m synchronised platform, said: 'I feel that as long as I'm standing up there diving, I must be 100 per cent serious and committed, giving my best performance. 'After the Paris Olympics, I had to make some adjustments to my mindset. Coming to today's world championships, it feels somewhat different from the last cycle. 'From two years ago until now, I have seen significant changes and developments in my form. From Budapest (2022 edition), where I dealt with some injuries, I constantly motivated myself to complete that final competition. 'For me, it's all a process of continuous growth and improvement.' There are seven more diving events at the WCH and China will be looking to add to their golds, having won nine out of 13 at the last edition in Doha. Chinese divers Chen Yuxi (left) and Zhang Minjie gesture to the camera after winning the World Aquatics Championship Women's 10m Synchronised Platform Diving final. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Diving action continues on July 29, with the women's 3m synchronised springboard and men's 10m synchronised platform finals.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Chinese divers win men's 1m springboard and mixed synchronised 10m events at World Aquatics C'ships
Bronze medalist Yan Siyu (right) of China congratulates his teammate Zheng Jiuyuan, who won the men's 1m springboard final of the World Aquatic Championships held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 27, 2025. SINGAPORE – After securing the bronze medal in the men's 1m springboard at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) 2023 in Fukuoka , China's Zheng Jiuyuan looked destined for big things. But instead he faced a major setback as he slipped to 11th at the 2024 edition in Doha , which he attributed to a mentality issue. There was no such mental roadblock in 2025, however. The 21-year-old earned his place among China's pool of elite divers as he finally got his hands on the coveted gold medal at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 27, overwhelming the competition as he romped to a total of 443.70 points. Mexico's Osmar Olvera was second with a score of 429.60, while Yan Siyu, the other Chinese diver in the 12-man final, scored 405.50 as he claimed the bronze medal. Zheng, who has yet to make his Olympic debut, said: 'I always knew I had the ability, but the mentality (maybe) not so much. I was not mature enough technically (in Doha). 'It was still better for me to think about my own routines on the springboard, every step I took before I think about anything else.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore Younger generation must inherit and strengthen Singapore's multiculturalism: David Neo Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 When asked what caused a change in his mentality, he said: 'I've competed in this competition (world championships) four times now. When you compete long enough, you start to calm down because it's familiar. I became less nervous and started to do things without constraint.' In a magnificent diving display, Zheng averaged 73.95 points per dive , showing immense consistency as he pulled away from the field long before the end of the final, eventually finishing 14.10 points ahead of Olvera, who was frustrated as he failed to retain his title. Singapore's Avvir Tham (314.65) and Max Lee (261.00) finished 28th and 48th respectively out of 59 divers who took part in the preliminaries . In the mixed 10m synchronised event earlier in the day, China's Zhu Yongxin and tournament debutante Xie Peiling claimed the gold medal following a breathtaking final. The pair had never competed together before . Xie said: '(My goal was to) dive well, dive beautifully. (I'm glad) I got to show what I'm about on the platform (today).' However, questions about their chemistry were definitely raised after a poor first dive scored at 36.60 points put themselves in last spot in the 12-pair final. But those doubts were immediately dashed as a series of wonderfully executed dives shot them to the top of the rankings with a grand total of 323.04 . 'We didn't think too much about it (the first dive). Most importantly, we kept listening to our coach and just thought about how we would normally dive,' said the 15-year-old Xie , who is the second youngest of China's diving contingent at the 2025 WCH. Zhu, 21 , added: 'Synchronised diving is done by two people, not one person. When your partner makes a mistake, it also concerns yourself. The important part was that we kept encouraging each other. 'Our ceiling is still relatively high. We definitely have room to improve.' North Korea's Choe Wi Hyon and Jo Jin Mi missed out on gold by the narrowest of margins, settling for silver with 322.98, while neutral athletes Aleksandr Bondar and Anna Konanykhina from Russia bagged the bronze with 311.88. The Singapore pair of Yim Shek Yen and Ainslee Kwang were given a harsh introduction to the world championships as they scored 238.62 and finished in bottom place. However, for tournament debutante Ainslee, she was happy to 'just do the little things correctly'. The 14-year-old said: 'The biggest takeaway for me is definitely to know how to handle my nerves. It's such a big competition and you can get really frightened easily. 'It's really good to know how to manage my nerves and my stress, and I know this is just a preparation leading up to the SEA Games,' added the Methodist Girls' School student.
The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Walshe reaches 200m Individual Medley semi-finals at World Aquatic Championships
ELLEN WALSHE HAS booked her place in the semi-finals of the 200m Individual Medley at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore. Ranked 18th ahead of the race, Walshe impressed to claim fourth in her heat in a time of 2:11.45, which is the fifth-fastest time of her career. She progresses to this afternoon's final at 1pm Irish time in 10th place overall. Ellie McCartney made her World Championships (LC) debut in the same event, clocking the second-fastest time of her career in 2:13.86. The National Centre Limerick swimmer will return to the pool on Thursday in the 200m Breaststroke. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 | 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 Catch Ellen Walshe in action in the 200m Individual Medley Semi-Final at the World Aquatics Championships. All the links you need 👉 — Swim Ireland (@swimireland) July 27, 2025 Meanwhile, Daniel Wiffen swam 3:47.57 to open his World Championships in the 400m Freestyle. 'I was pretty disappointed with the overall time,' Wiffen said after his race. 'I didn't follow the race plan I was meant to go. Honestly though I'm happy, it's a warm-up for my main events later in the week, I'm looking forward to the 800m in the next two days.' Wiffen added that he had appendicitis in June but that he has made a full recovery. Advertisement 'So I had appendicitis about five weeks ago, obviously I'm hopefully fully covered at this point, I'm not letting it affect me at this World Championships, I'm here to race and race fast.' The Olympic Champion in the 800m Freestyle returns to the pool for that event on Tuesday morning, where he will be first looking to secure a top eight finish in the heats, and advance to the final on Wednesday. Eoin Corby swam a season's best of 1:00.63 in the 100m Breaststroke heats. He will return for the 200m Breaststroke, his main event, on Thursday. Shane Ryan opened his Championships in the 50m Butterfly preliminary where he finished in 23.46. Ryan returns to the pool on Friday for the 50m Freestyle. The World Aquatics Masters Championships took place in Singapore over the weekend, where Ireland claimed three medals. Cork Masters' Jane Jolly defended her 2024 World Title in the Women's 3K 70-74 Age Group, winning gold in 1:10.38. In the 60-64 Age Group, Ennis Masters' Norma Cahill took silver in 51.26. There was also silver for Ireland in the Men's 3K Aer Lingus Masters where Boyd Freeman claimed silver in the 60-64 Age Group in 49.16. The pool element of the Masters Championships will start on 7 August, with over 40 Irish Masters swimmers set to compete. World Aquatics Day 1 Heats Sunday 27 July Women 200m Individual Medley Ellen Walshe – 2:11.45 (10th) Q/SF Ellie McCartney – 2:13.86 (25th) Men 400m Freestyle Daniel Wiffen – 3:47.57 (16th) Men 50m Butterfly Shane Ryan – 23.46 (28th) Men 100m Breaststroke Eoin Corby – 1:00.63 (21st) Day 1 Finals Schedule Sunday 27 July Women 200m Individual Medley SF Ellen Walshe – 1pm (IRL)
