Marchand and McIntosh Reign Again

Summer McIntosh’s exceptional rise within the sport continued in 2025, because the Canadian teenager earned her second consecutive World Aquatics Female Swimmer of the Year honour. Following a breakout Olympic marketing campaign in 2024, she maintained high kind all through the brand new season, producing performances that reshaped the report books and strengthened her standing as one of many world’s all-time most versatile swimmers.

The 2025 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria set the tone for her 12 months. Competing at age 18 and getting ready for a five-event programme on the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, McIntosh delivered one of the vital memorable home meets in current historical past. Over 5 days, she set three particular person World Records: reclaiming the Women’s 400m Freestyle report in 3:54.18, decreasing her personal 400m Individual Medley mark to 4:23.65, and surpassing Katinka Hosszú’s decade-old 200m IM report with a time of two:05.70.

No swimmer had set three particular person World Records in a single meet since Michael Phelps on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Among girls, the feat had not been achieved since Inge de Bruijn at Sydney 2000—putting McIntosh’s efficiency in traditionally uncommon firm.

In Singapore, McIntosh transformed her momentum into world titles. She earned gold within the 400m freestyle, 200m particular person medley, 200m butterfly, and 400m particular person medley, setting two Championship Records within the course of. Her ultimate occasion, the 800m freestyle, grew to become one of many standout races of the championships. In a compelling three-way battle, McIntosh challenged six-time champion Katie Ledecky of the United States and Australia’s Lani Pallister, in the end taking bronze as Ledecky captured a seventh world title and a Championship Record at 8:05.62.

Reflecting on the race, McIntosh famous: “It’ll definitely take some time. This is a new event for me, and I have a lot to learn about it. We’ll see where it takes me in the next few years heading into LA.”

McIntosh concluded 2025 with 4 world titles, three World Records, and a podium end in opposition to one of the vital achieved distance swimmers in historical past. Her profession resume now consists of three Olympic gold medals, eight long-course world titles, and 4 further short-course world crowns.

In recognition of her achievements and continued impression on world swimming, Summer McIntosh is the 2025 World Aquatics Female Swimmer of the Year.

Following a landmark Olympic 12 months on dwelling soil at Paris 2024—the place he captured 4 gold medals and emerged as a nationwide sporting icon—Leon Marchand entered 2025 with a stability of ambition and endurance. He spoke brazenly about concentrating on world data whereas acknowledging the post-Olympic adjustment forward.
“I want to break all the records,” he mentioned, whereas describing the World Aquatics Championships as a “challenge.”

“It’s more like a transition year for me after the Olympics, which was a big goal for a lot of athletes and for me,” Marchand defined on the pre-event press convention in Singapore. “I would say it’s more like getting back into the game. I had a pretty good year of relaxing, so now [the challenge is] getting back into it but really taking my time… I’m excited for the Worlds.”

That “transition year” started with one of the vital spectacular swims of his profession. In the semifinals of the Men’s 200m Individual Medley, Marchand powered forward of the earlier World Record tempo throughout the backstroke and widened the hole by means of the breaststroke leg. At the wall, the scoreboard confirmed historical past: he lowered Ryan Lochte’s 14-year-old World Record of 1:54.00 by 1.31 seconds.

“What’s crazy is that it’s a whole second… and it’s still hard to believe. A 1:52 on the 200m — that’s insane,” Marchand mentioned instantly after the race. “I’m so happy. It’s just incredible.”

In the post-event press convention, Marchand credited the race to subtle preparation and execution. “Today, I felt actually good earlier than the race. In the water, I felt mild. Technically, the whole lot felt clear. I had talked with Bob (Bowman) and Nico (Castel), and we agreed that tonight was the time to go for it.

“I went out hard from the start, but I stayed super relaxed. My underwaters were hitting 15 metres every time, and I didn’t make many mistakes. I didn’t realise I was going that fast, but I gave it absolutely everything — arms at full speed to the wall.”

An evening later, he returned to win gold within the 200m Individual Medley, posting 1:53.68—the second-fastest efficiency in historical past to win his third world title within the occasion.

He closed his Singapore marketing campaign with one other gold medal within the 400m Individual Medley. After a conservative semifinal the place he certified seventh, Marchand surged to a 4:04.73 end within the ultimate, greater than three-and-a-half seconds forward of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita. It marked his third world title within the 400m IM.

“Today was proof that I made the right choices and that I’m doing what I love,” Marchand mirrored. “I didn’t necessarily need that confirmation—I already knew it—but it always feels good to be on the top step of the podium, to hear the national anthem, and to reflect on everything that’s happened this year.”

With a brand new World Record, two particular person world titles, and a relay silver for France within the Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay, Leon Marchand is called the 2025 World Aquatics Male Swimmer of the Year—his second consecutive honour.

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