A three-way battle electrifies the swimming world

The USA has to defend its position as the leading nation in pool swimming for eight days from Sunday, but the Australians also appear to be well positioned at the World Championships in Fukuoka. An early highlight in this duel is the decision in the women's 400 meter freestyle on Sunday.

July 22, 2023

From: apa/Reuters

US star Katie Ledecky is the defending champion, Australian Ariarne Titmus is attacking as Olympic champion. But Summer McIntosh could intervene. The 16-year-old Canadian took the world record in March and is considered a swimming prodigy. In any case, the three-way fight could become the overture to a new edition of the Olympic Games in Paris in a year. Parallels are already being drawn to the men's 200 m freestyle competition in 2004 in Athens (“Race of the century”) between the ultimately victorious Australian Ian Thorpe, the American Michael Phelps and the Dutch Pieter van den Hoogenband. “It feels pretty much the same as back then,” said Ledecky.

She already has 19 World Cup gold medals. She will not yet reach Phelps' record of 26, at least in Japan. She and Titmus, who is also experienced, hope that the lack of routine is playing a trick on McIntosh. “We will come pretty close to the world record or even break it,” predicted Titmus. McIntosh, who also holds the world record for the 400 m individual medley, was pretty relaxed in advance.

A super talent: Summer McIntosh © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / JARED C. TILTON

In the men's 400 m individual medley, there is a good chance that Phelps' 15-year-old world record of 4:03,84 minutes will be improved by Leon Marchand. The Frenchman came within 0,44 seconds of the record set by the Olympic champion last year at the Budapest World Cup. The Romanian David Popovici is certainly aiming for a world record in the 100 and perhaps also the 200 m freestyle. The men's 1.500 m freestyle is also expected to be extremely exciting and has world record potential.