Meg Harris claims 50m freestyle gold to spherical out world swimming championships

Australian swimmer Meg Harris has gained the gold medal within the girls’s 50m freestyle closing on the world swimming championships in Singapore.

On the ultimate night time of competitors, Australia’s Jenna Forrester and ladies’s medley relay staff additionally claimed silver.

Harris beat Chinese swimmers Quinfeng Wu and Yujie Cheng in 24.02 seconds, marginally slower than the swim that gained her the silver medal on the Olympic Games in Paris.

“Stoked, like there’s not much more I can say,” she stated after the race.

“I did the dream that I’ve been dreaming this whole time, like this is why I swim — also for the enjoyment — but it is nice winning.

“I nonetheless cannot even put it into phrases … it’s going to take some time to course of.”

Harris, who also won a gold medal in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay on night one of the championships, said she had to reset her outlook after her Paris success.

“It was a little bit of a tricky one,” she stated.

“I felt such a excessive coming off that after which beginning this yr needed to discover a new motivation, not simply coming in and doing the precise the identical factor.

“So, I stripped the whole lot again and began with the fundamentals — all the explanations that I began swimming, like I like sprinting, and I like racing.”

Harris admitted after the race that she swims with her eyes closed.

“I assume it is similar to attempting to give attention to my stroke,” she said.

She also took a breath — against instructions.

“Pretty a lot my entire coaching has been to give attention to not taking a breath, but it surely did not really feel so nice within the semis, so I simply tried to do no matter got here naturally and the breath got here naturally,” she stated.

Canada’s Summer McIntosh bounced back from her disappointment with her bronze in the 800m from Saturday night to blitz the field in the 400m individual medley.

Her time of 4:25.78 was two seconds slower than her own world record but was a championship record.

Australian Forrester came from third with her last stroke to tie for second with Japan’s Mio Narita, 7.48 seconds behind McIntosh.

“Yeah I did not know that I used to be going to come back in second, I believed, possibly third,” Forrester stated.

“To make a comeback like that this year, I’m super proud of myself. Super grateful to have the support team around me: My coach, my family, my friends.

“It actually means the world to me, and I felt like that swim was for everybody who helped me get right here.”

Mollie O’Callaghan had one last chance to move ahead of Ian Thorpe as Australia’s greatest world championship swimmer in the final of the 4×100 medley relay.

But it was the United States that stole the show, breaking their own world record with a time of 3:49.34.

The quartet of Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske will share a $US30,000 prize for breaking the document.

The Australian team of Kaylee McKeown, Ella Ramsay, Alexandria Perkins and O’Callaghan came second 3.33 seconds behind the Americans.

“I’m actually happy with us all, I feel we have all had an enormous meet,” Perkins stated.

“Just to come back out right here and do our greatest is admittedly essential and I feel we did an ideal job.

“Also, a special mention to our little 16-year-old Sienna. She did a great job this morning too.”

That medley relay was the final occasion of the championships, which noticed the United States prime the medal desk with 9 gold, 11 silver and 9 bronze forward of Australia in second with eight gold, six silver and 6 bronze.

“One medal short,” Australian head coach Rohan Taylor lamented.

“Obviously you hope for it all the time but it’s nice for it to come down to the last relay and we did our best.

“But anyway, they have been too good on the day, however that simply makes us extra hungry for it.”

He said there was still room for improvement, given the absence of Ariarne Titmus, who was taking a year off, and decisions by some athletes not to swim in certain races. 

Illness also swept through the team and prevented Sam Short swimming in his favourite 800m.

“We’ve now bought previous this meet and me in my mindset is wanting ahead to the long run and the subsequent cease is Comm Games and Pan Pacs,” Taylor stated.

“We had an ideal conversion charge … as of tonight I feel our entire staff had a 60 per cent of finals swims that have been equal or higher than trials, which is one thing we actually attempt for.”

Asked for his highlights of the meet, Taylor said they all had a little meaning.

He commended Forrester, who had to wait until the last day of the meet to swim.

He also highlighted the two 100m freestyle relay gold medals on night one and Lani Pallister’s silver medal.

“Geez, that 800 free was particular final night time, it was simply epic, I used to be fanning the entire time,” he said.

Asked if Ariarne Titmus planned to come back to the sport after her year off, Taylor said he hoped so

“I have not had a chat along with her, I depart Arnie alone and let her work by way of that, but when Arnie needs to speak to me she’ll clearly ring me,” he stated.

“But I depart her to make her personal determination, however I hope so, I actually do. It’d be nice.”