Mollie O’Callaghan crushes 200m quick course world file as post-Titmus period begins

Mollie O’Callaghan has crushed the ladies’s quick course 200m world file with an exceptional 1:49.77 on the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup second leg in Westmond, Illinois.

The 21-year-old grew to become the primary girl to swim underneath 1:50 for the 200m freestyle, beating compatriot Lani Pallister — who set a brand new private finest time — into the silver medal spot by 2.29 seconds.

The earlier file stood at 1:50.31, set by Hong Kong’s Siobhán Haughey in 2021.

For O’Callaghan and Australian swimming, it could be a case of the queen is lifeless, lengthy stay the queen, following the shock retirement of long-course world file holder Ariarne Titmus on Thursday.

Titmus, who claimed the file in a 50m pool from O’Callaghan on the 2024 Olympic trials in Brisbane, stated she now not had the fireplace for top-level competitors.

But her youthful rival at St Peter’s Western, O’Callaghan, who additionally admitted it was laborious to get again within the pool following a vastly profitable Paris Olympics, confirmed that she nonetheless has lots to present with a chic meet.

As effectively as her crushing 200m swim, O’Callaghan claimed a bronze medal within the 50m freestyle — with compatriot Alexandria Perkins profitable silver, which she matched within the 50m butterfly — and backstroke occasions, with the 100m nonetheless to come back on Sunday, native time, within the 25m pool.

O’Callaghan was overwhelmed in that 50m backstroke by Kaylee McKeown, who edged Gretchen Walsh into silver by simply 0.02 seconds, with O’Callaghan third.

On Sunday, McKeown was overwhelmed within the 100m backstroke by arch-rival Regan Smith, who equalled the world file to assert victory by over a second.

Earlier within the meet, Pallister set a brand new World Cup file within the 400m freestyle with a superb 3:52.42, comfortably beating world championship bronze medallist Erika Fairweather of New Zealand.

That time beat her personal Australian file and was the third quickest time in historical past.

“Any time you set records and some best times, you have to be happy,” Pallister informed World Aquatics. 

“I think for me, I’m going to get in trouble for a couple of my skills in that race. That’s something to work on moving forward which means I just have room for improvement.

“As a lot as racing is essential, I wish to hold my quantity comparatively regular in a coaching week. So, I believe the principle factor is simply preserving issues up and comparatively low depth and use this because the laborious a part of the week.”

Pallister, who has emerged as Australia’s next middle distance queen in the absence of Titmus over the past year, paid credit to the four-time Olympic gold medallist.

“I do know there was numerous speak about her coming again and it is good she’s decided for her,” Pallister stated. 

“She appears actually comfortable in the intervening time, which I believe is the nicest factor. She’s executed a lot as an athlete, a lot for swimming, worldwide swimming and setting the usual for center distance swimming internationally.

“I have a lot to thank her for, for making me a better athlete.” 

In the boys’s 400m, Sam Short took the win with a time of three:36.27.

“We have to keep up the strong reputation in the 400m freestyle,” stated Short, who added a silver medal within the 800m on Saturday night time.