Summer McIntosh wins swim worlds gold medal in 400m freestyle

SINGAPORE — For Summer McIntosh of Canada, it is one gold medal received on the swimming world championships with 4 to go.

McIntosh is aiming to win 5 gold medals in particular person occasions on the worlds in Singapore, and the primary one got here Sunday within the 400-meter freestyle on the primary of eight days within the pool.

Only legendary American Michael Phelps has ever received 5 particular person medals within the worlds. He additionally did it on the Olympics.

McIntosh received however didn’t break her personal world report, successful in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with a late cost to depart American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49) with bronze.

About half-hour after successful that race, McIntosh got here again and certified first within the 200 particular person medley, clocking 2:07.39. American Alex Walsh was second in 2:08.49. That last is Monday.

“I’ve never done a double like that,” McIntosh stated. “I think the 400 free, at past world championships and Olympics, I haven’t been at my best. And I haven’t been where I wanted to be. So, to finally stand in the center of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet.”

The Canadian added: I feel I’m at my finest. I’m in the very best form of my life. So now I simply need to act on that and put it into all my races.”

The shock of the first day might have been Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi, who was the seventh fastest in qualifying and will swim in the final.

Asked her reaction, she replied: “Oh, I’m in,” unaware she had advanced.

“I’ll proceed to work tougher,” she added. “I hope to discover a breakthrough at these world championships and present my potential.”

Asked for her reaction to the competition, she added. “You can really feel it is fairly intense. I strive to not assume a lot and simply give it my all.”

The 200 IM might not even be her best event with the Chinese likely quicker in the 400 IM and the 200 butterfly.

Meanwhile, the United States is swimming with what appears to be a weakened team after officials acknowledged Sunday that some members of the team had come down with “acute gastroenteritis” at a coaching camp in Thailand previous to arriving in Singapore.

Nikki Warner, a spokeswoman for USA Swimming, wouldn’t say what number of fell unwell in Thailand. She cited well being confidentiality guidelines.

In the opposite early particular person last Sunday, Lukas Martens of Germany received the boys’s 400 free in 3:42.35, edging Sam Short of Australia who was .02 behind. Bronze went to Kim Woomin of South Korea in 3:42.60.

Martens is the defending Olympic champion and likewise holds the world report of three:39.96.

McIntosh, who received three gold medals a 12 months in the past on the Paris Olympics, holds the world report within the 400 free – 3:54.18. She will face off once more with Ledecky within the 800 free later within the meet, most likely essentially the most anticipated race in Singapore.

Though she holds the 400 free world report, McIntosh had did not win gold within the occasion within the Olympics or earlier world championships.

McIntosh may also be after gold within the 200- and 400-individual medleys, and the 200 butterfly.

Famed Olympian Michael Phelps is the one swimmer to have received 5 particular person gold medals at a world championships.

The different two gold medals Sunday have been within the relays. The United States was the favourite in each and did not win both.

The Australian girls took gold simply forward of the United States within the 4×100 freestyle relay. The Aussies clocked 3:30.60 with 3:31.04 for the US. The Netherlands took bronze in 3:33.89.

On the boys’s aspect within the 4×100, Australia additionally took gold in 3:08.97. Italy took silver in 3:09.58 with bronze for the United States in 3:09.64.