Mollie O’Callaghan denied dash double by Marrit Steenbergen at worlds | Swimming

The defending champion Marrit Steenbergen denied Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan a dash double at swimming’s world championships on Friday because the Dutchwoman gained 100m freestyle gold in Singapore.

Steenbergen held off a late cost from O’Callaghan to the touch the wall in 52.55sec, forcing her Australian rival to accept second in 52.67. The US’s Torri Huske, who withdrew from a race earlier within the week after affected by a abdomen bug, was third in 52.89.

Steenbergen gained world championship gold within the occasion in Doha final yr in a area lacking a number of massive names saving themselves for the Paris Olympics. “In Doha I was like, this is crazy to win, but in this field I don’t know what to feel, I’m just so happy,” mentioned the 25-year-old.

Steenbergen additionally gained bronze with the Dutch workforce within the girls’s 4x100m freestyle relay this week in Singapore. “After the relay I knew I was in good shape but I was getting more nervous through the week and tonight I was feeling it a bit,” she mentioned. “I just tried to keep my calm.”

Steenbergen’s win denied O’Callaghan her fourth gold medal of the week and her twelfth world championship profession title.

A win would have resulted in her eclipsing retired nice Ian Thorpe as Australia’s most adorned world championship swimmer. “As I’ve said a thousand times, I’ve not had the best prep towards this,” mentioned O’Callaghan, who gained the 200m freestyle title two nights earlier. “To do what I did tonight, last night and the nights before that, I am very proud.”

Day six of the competitors concluded with red-hot favourites Britain clinching gold within the males’s 4x200m freestyle relay, with China second and Australia third.