Australia pipped by US at world swimming titles however Dolphins’ golden period endures | Swimming

Australia’s golden era within the pool goes nowhere. That a lot, a minimum of, was clear in Singapore over the previous week, because the Dolphins ended the 2025 world championships on eight gold medals, only one shy of perennial rivals the United States. With some swimmers solely just lately again within the water following a post-Olympics break – Ariarne Titmus participated from the commentary field somewhat than the pool – and a bout of meals poisoning derailing some athletes, it was a powerful outing from the Dolphins.

Two swimmers had been on the forefront, accountable in complete or partially for 5 of Australia’s eight gold medals – Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown. O’Callaghan, nonetheless solely 21, went degree with Australian swimming nice Ian Thorpe on 11 world titles, thanks to 2 relay golds (the ladies’s 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle), and a person title within the 200m freestyle, plus two silver medals.

After profitable two Olympic gold medals as a relay warmth swimmer in Tokyo, O’Callaghan had dominant showings on the 2022 and 2023 world titles, earlier than profitable three golds in Paris. With 5 Olympic gold medals to her title, O’Callaghan is already degree with Thorpe and McKeown, and just one behind Emma McKeon, Australia’s most profitable Olympian ever. With a number of extra world championships forward, and her eyes set on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and presumably even a house Olympics in Brisbane in seven years’ time, O’Callaghan is sort of sure to turn into Australia’s most profitable swimmer of all time.

McKeown, in the meantime, gained each the ladies’s 100m and 200m backstroke after seeing off long-time American rival Regan Smith. The Queenslander gained each occasions in Tokyo, Paris and on the 2023 world titles. McKeown has been the undisputed backstroke queen for half a decade now; she is arguably the very best backstroke swimmer of all time. And she might need even gained extra gold in Singapore, had McKeown not been a late withdrawal from the 50m backstroke.

With 10 particular person gold medals throughout Olympic Games and world titles, McKeown is now essentially the most profitable Australian swimmer in particular person occasions – forward of Thorpe and Grant Hackett on 9 apiece. Titmus and O’Callaghan every have 5. All of these victories have been battles to the top – partially, what makes McKeown’s success so exceptional is that it has come in opposition to such shut competitors, and but the Australian has so persistently come out on high. As InsightLane pointed out on X, the combination margin of victory throughout these 10 gold medals is simply 4.41 seconds – or much less time than it took to learn this sentence. Time and once more, in these clutch moments, McKeown has had the sting.

O’Callaghan and McKeown weren’t the one Australians to shine in Singapore, whether or not individually or collectively. The Dolphins’ relay depth was obvious, as they gained three golds, one silver and one bronze medal throughout the disciplines. However, a failure to qualify for the ultimate of the combined 4x100m freestyle relay – having gained gold in each the boys’s and ladies’s – was unlucky, whereas the Australian males didn’t progress by means of the heats of their medley relay.

Australia’s dominance in freestyle dash occasions was additionally underscored – crew veteran Cameron McEvoy gained the boys’s 50m freestyle, so as to add to his Paris Olympics crown, whereas on Sunday evening Meg Harris gained the ladies’s version. O’Callaghan gained silver within the 100m freestyle, narrowly out-touched by Dutchwoman Marrit Steenbergen, whereas dash supremo Kyle Chalmers gained bronze within the males’s two-lap freestyle.

There had been additionally a number of breakthrough performances. Lani Pallister surged to silver within the ladies’s 800m freestyle, virtually upsetting American legend Katie Ledecky and beating Canada’s Summer McIntosh to second; the 23-year-old Australian additionally gained bronze within the ladies’s 1500m. Harrison Turner gained bronze – “dirty gold,” in his phrases – to say Australia’s first world championships medal within the males’s 200m butterfly, whereas Jenna Forrester had a return to type to win silver within the ladies’s 400m particular person medley. Alex Perkins was on the rostrum in each the ladies’s 50m and 100m butterfly, whereas Lizzy Dekkers gained bronze within the 200m version.

Even the unhealthy information – a bout of obvious meals poisoning, which had first taken down a number of American swimmers after which reached the Australian camp – had a silver lining. Sam Short was 0.02 seconds off a gold medal within the males’s 400m freestyle on the opening evening of the meet, earlier than wanting in ominous type within the 800m heats.

The regulation scholar was then compelled out of the ultimate with sickness, however recovered to swim a gutsy fourth within the 1500m on the ultimate evening. The Queenslander had made lunch plans together with his mother and father – so satisfied he wouldn’t qualify for the 1500m finals after his sickness – however needed to cancel following a late surge. It is the second unlucky main meet in a row for Short, who had a disappointing displaying in Paris, however the 21-year-old has time on his aspect.

Three years stay till the 2028 Olympics, and far can occur in that house of time. Success at these world titles is not any assure of future glory. But after a 12 months to decompress and regroup following the highs of Paris, the Singapore meet provided a lot promise for the Dolphins. “There are a lot of great takeaways,” head coach Rohan Taylor mentioned on Sunday. This actually is a golden era for Australian swimming.