Meals poisoning hits Australian group as Sam Short pulls out of 800m last

Breaking Michael Phelps’ ‘untouchable’ 400 particular person medley world document two years in the past. Winning two particular person Olympic gold medals in 118 minutes on the La Defense Arena.

But eclipsing Ryan Lochte’s 2011 world document within the 200m medley — and never simply by a fraction — stamped his brilliance as soon as extra.

Most swimmers chase the world document line with their fingertips. The time, the world document line was making an attempt to catch Marchand’s toes, that are actually not dimension 17s like Ian Thorpe, however do the trick.

Marchand touched the wall in 1:52.69 and even he was blown away by a time sooner than Mark Spitz’ 200m freestyle effort throughout his seven gold medal blitz on the 1972 Munich Olympics.

“I actually can’t really believe it right now,” Marchand stated. “It’s unbelievable for me. What’s crazy is that it’s a whole second. A 1:52 on the 200m — that’s insane. I’m so happy, it’s just incredible.”

Marchand, who studied pc science at school within the US, dropped each the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke this yr to focus on world information within the 200m and 400m particular person medleys.

He spent the early a part of this yr in Brisbane coaching with Boxall and his St Peter’s Western squad, which options the likes of O’Callaghan and Will Petric.

Petric, swimming in lane one of many semi, completed 5.52 seconds behind Marchand.

In between browsing journeys to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, Marchand frolicked with Boxall honing his freestyle.

“That group was really welcoming from the first week. They are amazing,” Marchand stated in an interview with SwimSwam earlier this yr. “It was a great experience. I have learned a lot about getting better at freestyle. That group is really good for that.”

A number of lanes over throughout these classes, O’Callaghan was rediscovering her love for swimming after her 200m freestyle gold medal in Paris.

On Wednesday night time, she delivered once more. O’Callaghan (1:53.48) swam a medical race, utilizing American Claire Weinstein to set the early tempo earlier than charging dwelling within the last lap to win by 1.04 seconds.

“A positive environment definitely makes a world of difference,” O’Callaghan stated. “It is nice to come to a pool and feel at home.

“Coming here was one of the last things I thought I would do. At the start of the year if you told me I’d be world champion again, I would be shocked.”

Australia had two real gold medal probabilities on night time 4. They left with one – and a case of what might need been.

The group was rocked by a meals poisoning drama after Short introduced he wouldn’t line up within the 800m freestyle last.

Short received a silver medal within the occasion on the 2023 world championships and was the second-fastest qualifier for the ultimate. He was aiming to develop into the primary Australian to win world championships gold within the 800m freestyle since Grant Hackett in 2005.

Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi took the gold in a time of seven:36.88, slightly below Short’s private greatest of seven:37.76.

Swimming Australia says no different athletes have been affected.

“For him to not be able to swim tonight, you know he’s not feeling well because he’s an ultra competitor,” stated Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor.

The surprising story of the night time was Turner, who not solely received bronze however broke Nick D’Arcy’s Australian document within the 200m butterfly.

Turner wasn’t anticipated to make the group — not to mention the rostrum — however has dropped large private bests in latest months.

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“I never thought I’d be actually talking to you guys … this is something I dream about,” Turner stated.

At the midway mark of those world championships, the Dolphins nonetheless lead the medal tally on 4 golds, one forward of the USA.

There’s a world the place Short already has two golds in Singapore. Instead, he has a silver within the 400m freestyle — by 0.02 seconds — and a sore abdomen that can be monitored in coming days. He hopes to be proper for the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Kaylee McKeown’s absence from the 50m backstroke might have value Australia one other gold medal on the tally. Throw within the reality Ariarne Titmus is taking a yr off.

But if Marchand and Canada’s Summer McIntosh maintain pinching golds off the Americans, Australia could be about to occasion prefer it’s Fukuoka 2023 — and even 2001 — once more.

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