Aussie golden woman Kaylee McKeown defends 100m backstroke world title, reveals harm setback

Australian swimming darling Kaylee McKeown has claimed an exhilarating 100m backstroke world championships objective medal, beating rival Regan Smith earlier than revealing a shock harm setback she needed to overame.

While narrowly lacking out on the world report, McKeown powered to the wall in a championship report time of 57.16sec so as to add to defend her world title and add to her beautiful profession haul within the occasion which incorporates two Olympic gold medals.

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The outcome ensured Smith would as soon as extra should accept second, simply 0.19sec behind whereas American Katharine Berkoff took bronze.

McKeown’s victory underlines her standing because the undisputed drive in girls’s backstroke.

And how will she have a good time?

“Just go and sleep … maybe have some chocolate,” she laughed.

McKeown admitted she was feeling relieved after getting back from post-Paris Olympics blues, whereas additionally revealing after the race she had dislocated her shoulder within the weeks main as much as the Australian group’s staging camp in Darwin.

“I’m really really proud. It’s a little bit emotional, I’ve worked so hard just to get myself into a happy state and it’s just what I’ve been focusing on. I think it goes to show that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer,” McKeown stated.

“I have trained hard but I wasn’t expecting to make a personal best tonight. I’m just thankful that today I was able to get my hand on the wall (first).”

When requested about her harm, the 24-year-old stated: “I’ve got a really flexible stroke and it’s to my benefit when I swim my backstroke but sometimes it can cause me to dislocate my shoulder.”

“It’s been quite irritated but I’ve got a good medical team and physiotherapists to help me get through. (What this medal) means most to me is being true to myself and being strong and coming to these world championships and not fearing … there were a lot of comments … saying that I’m scared to lose but that’s not the case at all.

“If anything, I’m scared to fail myself. I’ve worked really, really hard to get up there tonight and prove to myself that I am a good athlete and swimmer. It doesn’t matter if I come first or last.”

The outcome was one other chapter within the storied rivalry between arch rivals Smith and McKeown.

The 23-year-old American Smith set a world report of 57.13sec on the 2024 US Olympic trials, snatching McKeown’s world report. But McKeown bought the higher of the American to win gold on the Paris Olympics, relegating Smith into silver in each the 100m and 200m backstroke.

Ahead of Singapore, McKeown and Smith shared the 20 quickest occasions in historical past.

AUSSIE PUSHES SUPERSTAR LEDECKY

Katie Ledecky cruised to a dominant 1500m freestyle gold to say the twenty second world title of her storied profession.

The American nice touched the wall in 15min 26.44sec, forward of Italian Simona Quadarella in 15:31.79 and Australia’s Lani Pallister in 15:41.18.

The masterful win moved all-time nice Ledecky 4 wanting Michael Phelps’s profession tally of 26 world gold medals.

It additionally gave her the sixth world 1500m freestyle title of her profession and she or he paraded across the area afterwards with the American flag.

“I love this race. This race was the race that I broke my first world record in in 2013,” the 28-year-old Ledecky, who has received 9 Olympic golds, stated.

“Lots of great races and memories over the years at worlds. I’m happy I could do it in Singapore.”

Ledecky was the red-hot favorite going into the race, having certified for the ultimate over 10 seconds sooner than nearest challenger Pallister.

She additionally went into the race proudly owning the highest 24 1500m freestyle occasions ever, and set the second-fastest time in historical past in April behind her personal report.

But the American had loads of reward for the Aussie who pushed her all the best way.

Ledecky and Pallister broke away from the remainder of the sphere early on, with the Australian decided to maintain near the American.

Both have been on world report tempo on the 500m mark earlier than Ledecky started to go away Pallister behind.

Ledecky was in a category of her personal from there on, with the world report nonetheless nearby.

That prospect drained away within the closing levels however by that point the gold was within the bag.

“Lani took it out there. I knew she would be out fast and I just wanted to get out fast, but comfortable enough that I could go from there,” Ledecky stated.

DUO QUALIFY FOR FINAL

Aussie duo Jamie Perkins and Mollie O’Callaghan are by way of to the 200m freestyle last.

Commentators remarked O’Callaghan “didn’t really get out of first gear” in her semi last time of 1.55.49 whereas Perkins clocked 1.55.89.

O’Callaghan had earlier safely negotiated her means into the semi-finals as she too makes an attempt to shake off the post-Paris blues.

The 21-year-old Australian former world report holder, who has spoken candidly about making an attempt to dwell as much as massive expectations, was third-fastest within the heats in 1min 57.04sec.

“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 stated in Adelaide in June.

She declined to speak to reporters following her warmth on Tuesday in Singapore, the place she had helped Australia win 4x100m freestyle relay gold on Sunday for her ninth world title.

SPRINT STAR’S 200m WIN ‘BETTER THAN OLYMPICS’

David Popovici known as it “even better than the Olympics” after the Paris 2024 champion claimed an exhilarating gold within the 200m freestyle last.

The widespread 20-year-old Romanian timed it completely to reel in US rival Luke Hobson within the closing levels and take the title in 1min 43.53sec.

Hobson was compelled to accept silver (1:43.84) with Japan’s 18-year-old Tatsuya Murasa taking bronze (1:44.54).

“Even better than the Olympics to be honest,” stated Popovici, who reclaimed his world crown from 2022.

“You know why?” he added.

“I trained a lot for the Olympics but this year has been more relaxed and easygoing.” He added: “I am very proud of myself.” The last in Singapore was billed as a duel between Popovici — the Olympic champion — and Paris bronze medallist Hobson.

And so it turned out, with Popovici placing on the afterburners within the dying levels of the race.

Britain’s Matthew Richards, who took silver within the French capital a 12 months in the past, was a shock casualty within the semi-finals.

South Korea’s Hwang Sun-woo, who went to the primary flip in entrance, completed simply outdoors the medals in fourth.

The 200m freestyle was the primary of 5 finals on the third day of competitors in Singapore.