French swimmer Leon Marchand delivered a historic performance at the World Swimming Championships in Singapore by smashing the 200m individual medley world record on Wednesday. His time of 1:52.69 in the semi-finals broke the previous record of 1:54.00, held by American legend Ryan Lochte since 2011.
Marchand, who stunned the world in 2023 by breaking Michael Phelps’s 400m medley record, has once again underlined his status as one of the top swimmers of his generation. Speaking after the race, the 23-year-old said, “Actually I can’t believe it right now… but 1:52 is unbelievable for me.”
This race marks his return to elite competition after taking an extended post-Olympics break following four gold medal wins at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Tunisia and Australia Add to the Medal Rush
In the 800m freestyle final, Ahmed Jaouadi of Tunisia produced a well-timed surge midway through the race to clinch gold with a time of 7:36.88, beating Germany’s Sven Schwarz and Lukas Maertens. Jaouadi’s performance now ranks among the top three fastest times ever in this event.
Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan dominated the women’s 200m freestyle, clocking in at 1:53.48. The 21-year-old, who has battled injuries and post-Olympic pressure, expressed gratitude to her support system. China’s Li Bingjie and the USA’s Claire Weinstein rounded out the podium.
The United States celebrated victory in the men’s 200m butterfly, with Luca Urlando capturing the biggest title of his career. Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo narrowly defeated Russia’s Kirill Prigoda in the 50m breaststroke final.
Russia’s Neutral Team and the Rising Stars
In a unique highlight, the “neutral athletes” team—comprised of Russian swimmers—won the mixed 4x100m medley relay, outperforming both China and Canada. The result added further intrigue to an already dynamic championship.
As the competition heads into its fifth day, Australia leads the medal standings with four golds, followed by the USA with three, and Germany and Canada with two each.
All eyes now turn to Canada’s Summer McIntosh, who will aim for a third gold medal in the 200m butterfly final on Thursday. The race also features Yu Zidi, a 12-year-old Chinese schoolgirl, who could become the youngest medalist at the event.
Topics #200m butterfly final #Ahmed Jaouadi 800m freestyle #Leon Marchand #Leon Marchand world record #Mollie O'Callaghan gold #trending pakistan #USA swimming gold #World Swimming Championships 2025 #Yu Zidi swimmer
