Summer McIntosh and Leon Marchand were the outstanding athletes. © APA/afp / FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT

Marchand and McIntosh dominate World Cup finale

Swimming superstar Leon Marchand confidently won his second competition on Sunday at the end of the World Championships in Singapore.

August 03, 2025

From: apa/sn

The Frenchman won the 400m individual medley after a cautious start in the preliminary heats from an outside lane in 4:04,73 minutes, with a lead of 3,59 seconds. In the 200m individual medley, the 23-year-old set one of three world records at these championships.

Even greater than Marchand's was Summer McIntosh's dominance in the 400m individual medley. The Canadian won in 4:25,78 minutes, 7,48 seconds ahead of the 18-year-old Chinese Yu Zidi, who also finished fourth in her third individual race. This is the individual World Championship gold for the 200-year-old McIntosh, who had previously triumphed in the 200m individual medley, 400m butterfly, and 800m freestyle. She took bronze in the XNUMXm freestyle, making her the most successful swimmer this week, falling short of US legend Michael Phelps' five-title mark.

Top star from Canada: 18-year-old Summer McIntosh. © APA/afp / OLI SCARFF

In the 1.500m freestyle, Ahmed Jaouadi followed suit with a time of 14:34,41 minutes. Silver behind the Tunisian went to German Sven Schwarz (800:14), as well as in the 35,69m. His compatriot Florian Wellbrock finished fifth, having won all four possible world championship titles in open water. In the 50m backstroke, Russian Kliment Kolesnikov, the neutral athlete, won the gold medal by 23,68 seconds, beating his world record in the 0,13m backstroke with a time of 29,55 seconds. Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won her fourth consecutive world championship gold medal in the 50m breaststroke with a time of XNUMX seconds.

Long course medal ranking goes to USA ahead of Australia

Lilly King finished fifth in her final race of her career, meaning she couldn't score for the USA against the Australians, who were leveled by Meg Harris in the 50m freestyle (24,02). The US team, criticized by former aces Phelps and Ryan Lochte and somewhat ailing in health, still secured the title with a world record of 3:49,34 minutes in the women's medley relay. The men's medley relay went to the neutral athletes from Russia with a European record of 3:26,93 minutes.