Rebecca Meder wrapped up her World Aquatics Swimming World Cup campaign with another bronze medal at the third and final leg of the series in Toronto, Canada over the weekend.

That brought the 23-year-old from KwaZulu-Natal’s total tally to four bronze medals from the three stops.

On Saturday, she produced a strong final 25m to claim third in the 100m breaststroke in Toronto in a time of 1 minute 04.48, just one hundredth of a second ahead of fourth-placed Satomi Suzuki of Japan. The race was won by overall series champion Kate Douglass of the USA in 1:02.93, with Ireland’s Mona McSharry second in 1:03.84

Meder’s other results in Toronto included a fourth place in the 200m breaststroke in 2:18.81, a fifth place in the 200m individual medley in 2:05.83 and sixth place in the 100m individual medley in 58.81 seconds.

That saw her finishing 16th overall in the series.

Speaking afterwards, Meder said she was “very happy” with her performances over the last few weeks.

“I’m really happy to see that I'm becoming more and more competitive against the world's best, and nice to see that I'm racing in events that are stacked with the swimmers that I normally race against,” she said of coming up against the likes of Olympic champion Douglass and world champion sisters Alex and Gretchen Walsh.

After featuring in just one of the three World Cup legs last season, Meder returned this year to contest all three stops.

“Just to be able to do back-to-back racing like that at this level is a first for me. Three legs, you definitely feel it by the third leg, mentally, emotionally, and physically, but it's just made me so hungry to do it again, and to go and compete against these girls more and more,” she explained.

While the World Cup series is raced in 25m pools (short course), Meder will now switch focus to next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, raced over 50m, where she will be eyeing more podium finishes.

“Up next, the biggest focus is Commonwealth Games next year, of which lots of my competitors, competitors that I was racing now, will be at. So I'm looking forward to racing them again,” she said.

“I obviously wanted to be faster in the last [World Cup] stop and wanted to see if I could break my African record again [in the 200m individual medley], and try and chase that 200 breaststroke time and get that under the 2:18 mark.

“But I’m just super stoked that I was consistent through all three stops, and it just shows that my training has been working, all the hard work that I've been putting in. And to be consistently competitive at that level, is definitely a strength that I can take forward into a world champs and into a Commonwealth Games. So all in all, a good racing and training block done and dusted, and I’m super happy with the results.”

Australian Lani Pallister crushed Katie Ledecky's 800m freestyle short course world record on Saturday, roaring to victory in 7min 54.00sec as the Toronto World Cup closed with five world records on the day.

Pallister sliced 3.42sec off the world record that US great Ledecky set at a World Cup meeting in Indianapolis on 5 November, 2022 – and easily out-paced runner-up Erika Fairweather of New Zealand, who was second in 8:09.69

Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands threw down a short-course world record of 1:59.52 to win the men's 200m breaststroke, becoming the first to break the two-minute barrier as he bettered the previous mark of 2:00.16 set by Russian Kirill Prigoda at the 2018 short-course world championships in Hangzhou, China.

American Kate Douglass lowered her own short-course world record in the 100m freestyle, clocking 49.93sec to become the first to duck under 50 seconds and beating the mark of 50.19 she set last week in Westmont, Illinois.

Hungarian Hubert Kos also got in on the world record action, winning the 100m backstroke in 48.16sec to complete a perfect nine-for-nine run in this season's World Cup backstroke events.

Olympic 200m back gold medallist Kos, who set a 200m backstroke world record two days earlier, broke the previous short course world record of 48.33sec set by American Coleman Stewart in 2021.

Fellow Aussie Kaylee McKeown added another world record highlight to the final day of action in the three-event World Cup series, clocking 1:57.33 to win the 200m backstroke ahead of American rival Regan Smith – whose 1:57.86 was also below the old world mark of 1:57.86 McKeown set at the World Cup stop in Westmont six days earlier.

It was the second straight week that McKeown led Smith in a 200m back finish that saw both swim faster than the previous world mark.

Australian Mollie O'Callaghan broke the short course 200m freestyle world record for the second time in a week on Friday, winning in 1min 49.36sec at the World Cup stop in Toronto.

O'Callaghan sliced 41-hundredths of a second off the world record of 1:49.77 she set in Westmont, Illinois, just six days earlier – a victory that made her the first woman to break 1:50 in the event.

Hungarian Hubert Kos and Canadian Josh Liendo followed up world record swims on Thursday with victories.

One day after posting a world record of 1:45.12 in the 200m backstroke, Kos won the 50m back in 22.67sec.

🇦🇺 Mollie O’Callaghan does it again! 🔥
1:49.36 another World Record in the women’s 200m freestyle, just one week after her previous mark! #UnitedByRacing pic.twitter.com/7kLQU6lLyJ

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) October 24, 2025

The Olympic gold medallist remained unbeaten in backstroke competition in the three-meet World Cup series and can try to complete a perfect run when he contests the 100m back on Saturday.

Canadian Josh Liendo continued his scintillating form in front of home fans with a 100m freestyle victory in 45.30sec.

Liendo, who won 100m butterfly silver at the Paris Olympics, had set a short course world record of 47.68 in the 100m fly on Thursday – when he also won the 50m free.

South Africa’s Rebecca Meder returned to the podium at the second stop of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup series in Westmont, Illinois over the weekend.

The 23-year-old added to her haul of two bronze medals from the first stop a week earlier with another bronze in the 200m breaststroke on Saturday.

Meder stopped the clock on 2 minutes 18.88 seconds to secure third spot behind Olympic champion Kate Douglass, who took the gold in 2:14.57 and her fellow American Alex Walsh, who just snuck the silver ahead of Meder in 2:18.54.

The New Zealand-based star, who reached all the finals of her respective events, finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke in 1:05.35. The race was won in 1:03.14 by Douglass, who also set a world record in the 100m freestyle over the weekend. Ireland’s Mona McSharry took silver in 1:04.18 and American Alex Walsh the bronze in 1:04.45.

After topping the time sheets in the heats of the 200m individual medley, Meder finished fifth in the final in 2:07.60. Gold was won by American Alex Walsh in 2:04.44, while silver went to Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko in 2:04.93 and bronze to Britain’s Abbie Wood in 2:05.73.

Meder finished seventh in her other event of the meet – the 100m individual medley in 58.31 seconds. The race was won by American Gretchen Walsh in a World Cup record time of 55.77 seconds.

While her times weren’t quite as quick as they were at the opening stop of the series in Carmel, Meder was pleased with her overall performance, which saw South Africa finishing 18th on the medal table, thanks to her breaststroke bronze.

“It was another solid weekend of racing. Unfortunately, I started fighting a head cold on Wednesday, but I am grateful that I made finals for all of my races and finished 17th overall for this stop,” she said afterwards.

“The 200 and 100 breaststroke events are relatively new (I’ve only been racing them internationally for a year), so I am grateful for this experience where I get to race the world’s best and to learn and grow with every race. I am looking forward to another weekend of racing in Canada.”

The third and final stop of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup series takes place in Toronto, Canada this week, from 23-25 October. Meder heads into the competition currently ranked 14th overall in the women’s World Cup standings.

Meder’s coach, Graham Hill, believes this experience racing against the likes Douglass and Walsh has been invaluable, saying: “Hopefully the race experience she will gain from the three stops will move her to another level when she races at some major competitions like Commonwealth Games and Olympics.”

Mollie O'Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown launched Australia's post-Ariarne Titmus era in style by smashing short course world records at the World Cup meet in Westmont, Illinois.

Olympic 200m freestyle champion O'Callaghan swam 1:49.77 for victory in the same event on Saturday, eclipsing the previous mark of 1:50.31 set by Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey in 2021.

McKeown then held off fierce rival Regan Smith to win the 200 backstroke in 1:57.87 on the final night of the meet on Sunday, erasing the American's previous best of 1:58.04 set at the short course world championships last December.

McKeown's win turned the tables on Smith, who had edged the Australian for the 100 backstroke title on Saturday and equaled her own short course world record (54.02) in the process.

While McKeown usually allows Smith an early lead before hunting her down, the Australian led hard from the front in the 200 and held her off to the wall.

"I wanted to see what I could do tonight," said 24-year-old McKeown, who has won the 100 and 200 backstroke gold medals at the last two Olympics.

"Regan pushed me through all the way. I wanted to go out hard and hold on; it's not something that I'm used to doing."

McKeown owns both the short and long course 200 world records, while Smith has both in the 100.

The eye-catching performances of the Australian women come days after former teammate and Olympic 400 freestyle champion Ariarne Titmus announced her shock decision to retire from competitive swimming at the age of 25.

Kate Douglass grabbed another world record (50.19) for the United States in the 100 freestyle, taking down Australian Cate Campbell's 50.25 best from 2017.

It was the versatile Douglass's third short course world record, having already set the 200 individual medley and 200 breaststroke marks.

"I kind of wanted to go for it tonight," the 23-year-old said.

"It's definitely crazy to think that I have a breaststroke and freestyle world record. Pretty cool."

The third and final meet in the World Cup series starts in Toronto from Thursday.

Gretchen Walsh shattered her own short course world record in the 50m butterfly on Saturday with a victory in 23.72sec at the World Cup event in Carmel, Indiana.

Walsh broke the previous record of 23.94sec set at the short course world championships in Budapest last year and now owns the five fastest times ever in the event.

🚨 WOOOOOORLD RECORD🚨
Gretchen Walsh - 50m Butterfly - 23.72 Pure dominance 🤯#UnitedByRacing pic.twitter.com/6ndJffNYAo

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) October 12, 2025

Shaine Casas clocked an American record of 1min 49.43sec to pip French superstar Leon Marchand for victory in the men's 200m individual medley.

Casas, who trains with Marchand under coach Bob Bowman in Texas, led all the way and held off a furious final freestyle challenge from Marchand, winner of four gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and of both individual medleys at the long course world championships in Singapore this year.

Marchand, who owns the 200m medley short course world record of 1:48.88, touched in 1:49.73.

World record-holder Regan Smith of the United States came from behind to edge Aussie rival Kaylee McKeown in the 100m backstroke with a time of 54.92sec.

McKeown, who took Paris Olympics gold and the Singapore world title ahead of Smith, was second in 55.05.

Mollie O'Callaghan led all the way in winning the 200m freestyle in an Australian record of 1:50.77. Lani Pallister made it an Australian one-two in 1:52.41.

The women’s-only track start-up Athlos is gaining traction in its second year in New York, adding new sponsors, expanding its programme with a field event, and laying the groundwork for a multi-meet calendar in 2026.

The concept, which is the brainchild of Reddit founder and women's sports entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, appears to be going from strength to strength.

"We had probably 3x, probably 4x revenue this year, as a result of the fact that we were able to declare victory with that first event," said Ohanian, who said 3 million tuned in for the inaugural 2024 meet.

He retained existing sponsors Toyota and Tiffany & Co, while adding new brands, including mobile payment platform Cash App, to provide athletes with prize money "literally when the score is logged".

The remark raised eyebrows at the Manhattan press conference on Thursday, especially since the fortunes of another track start-up have nosedived in recent months.

The Michael Johnson-fronted Grand Slam Track cut its inaugural season short this year and owed its athletes millions in prize money months after the final meet, amid financial woes.

Asked about their mismatched fortunes, Ohanian struck a diplomatic tone: "The reason this league is going to be successful is because of the athletes. And once you understand that, you build from that.

"You can't go too wrong if you're prioritising the athletes, and I never lose sight of that," said Ohanian.

The approach has lured a number of big names to New York's Icahn Stadium for Friday's meet, with 1500 metres world record-holder and three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon and Britain's 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson among the competitors.

The meet also upped the ante with a dazzling Times Square long jump competition on Thursday, headlined by charismatic Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, who enjoys viral popularity on social media.

"Never in a lifetime would I ever expect to be jumping in the middle of Times Square," said the American.

Ohanian said he plans to announce meet locations for a new "team format" in 2026, after bringing on Davis-Woodhall, three-time Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas and former 100m world champion Sha'Carri Richardson on as owner-advisors.

"What's crucial for us is let's grow this thing intentionally," said Ohanian.

"The most important thing here is we build something that is sustainable and durable."

Italy's 2022 world swimming champion Benedetta Pilato and another Italian swimmer were banned for 90 days on Thursday for stealing cosmetics at Singapore airport.

The pair were caught red-handed on their return from this year's world championships where Pilato took bronze in the 50m breaststroke.

"Given the facts revealed by the investigation and the cooperation of the two athletes, who acknowledged their responsibilities, the prosecutor of the Italian swimming federation has decided to suspend them for 90 days from all activities starting today," the federation announced.

The sanction will prevent Pilato, 20, and Chiara Tarantino, 23, from participating in the European Short Course Championships in December in Poland.

The pair were arrested by Singapore police on August 14 after stealing two cosmetic products from a duty-free store at Singapore airport.

They were able to return to Italy on August 20 after Italian authorities intervened.

Pilato said on social media afterwards that she had been "involved (in this theft) independently of (her) will".

"From this experience, I draw great lessons on prudence, individual responsibility, and the value of the people around me," wrote the 100m breaststroke world champion in Budapest three years ago.

Yulimar Rojas is back after a 17-month injury lay-off and has fired a warning to her triple jump rivals at the world championships in Tokyo as she seeks a fifth title.

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The 29-year-old Venezuelan, who holds the world record of 15.74 metres, has been sidelined with an achilles tendon injury she sustained in April 2024.

"I feel very good," said Rojas, who won Olympic gold at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.

"I'm physically and mentally ready," she told AFP in an interview.

"I'm eager. I feel very motivated and excited to be here in Tokyo, which is always a special place for me.

"It's a place that gives me the opportunity to return to a championship, which after this wait is already something huge for me. I'm going to try to do it in the best way possible."

¡QUÉ RECUERDO! ⭐

Hace 9️⃣ años, Yulimar Rojas de Venezuela logró la medalla de plata en la prueba de triple salto de Río 2016. 🥈 🇻🇪 #JuegosOlimpicos l @TeamRojas45 pic.twitter.com/5j1DZZmEwV

— Los Juegos Olímpicos (@juegosolimpicos) August 14, 2025

Rojas's rehabilitation will finish somewhat symbolically on Tuesday, the day of qualifications, with the final to be held two days later.

"It's true that this time is a little different for me. I've had a year with quite a few ups and downs in my recovery," she admitted.

"I feel like I'm in a good place in my career, with more maturity, more desire, with an extra push to try to retain my title.

"And I also have the necessary experience to be able to get here and make it a reality. I'm still the same Yulimar, with the same desire as always, with the same goal and the same enthusiasm.

"But above all, I feel experienced and mature. I came here to give it my all."

ECLIPSE COACH PEDROSO

On her day, Rojas is untouchable in her event, but in her absence a host of other jumpers have risen to the top of the podium.

The discipline, she said, was in a healthy state.

"The triple jump has remained at its best," she said, naming Cuba's Leyanis Perez and Liadagmis Povea, and Dominica's reigning Olympic champion Thea LaFond as rivals to be reckoned with.

"Above all, my biggest rival is myself," Rojas added. "I've always kept in mind that my strongest rival is myself. It's my mind, what I can do and what I can achieve. That's the most important thing.

"You have to respect your rivals because they have the ability to achieve a good jump, but I have to have confidence. If Yulimar is there, it's sure to make it a great competition."

The city of Tokyo, she said, brought back "very good memories".

"It's a magical place which is very important to me because of everything I achieved at the Olympic Games four years ago," she said.

"I'm very focused, very concentrated. I'm also calm because I know that when the day comes, I'm going to do very well because I feel prepared for this."

Also up for grabs will be crowing rights over her Cuban coach Ivan Pedroso, the 2000 Olympic long jump gold medallist who also won four world outdoor titles.

A fifth triple jump title "is definitely one of my biggest challenges", Rojas said.

"I've had the break due to injury, but that hasn't dampened my desire to go for this big goal.

"He knows I'm very close and he's also very excited about it. Tokyo is a great place to continue winning titles and try to surpass him.

"It'll be tough, but I'm on my way and I can achieve it."

The Los Angeles Olympics are three years away, but Summer McIntosh showed at the swimming world championships why she will be one of the stars of the Games while 12-year-old Yu Zidi is shaping up to be a major threat.

The United States also demonstrated that tales of their demise were exaggerated as teams embarked on the long road to the LA 2028 at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore over the past week.

Canada ended the world championships on Sunday with four gold medals, all won by the 18-year-old phenomenon McIntosh.

Yet it was the one that got away that rankled with the teenager, having been forced to settle for bronze in the 800m freestyle which American great Katie Ledecky won for a seventh time.

It meant that three-time Paris Olympics gold medallist McIntosh fell just short of matching Michael Phelps's feat of five individual titles at a single world championships.

"I think it's just going to keep me hungry and push, and keep moving forward," said McIntosh.

"Even if I were to get five golds, I would still want more. That's just my mentality."

McIntosh broke three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in June and then powered to gold in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly in Singapore.

Chinese schoolgirl Yu became the youngest medallist in world championships history, taking home a relay bronze.

Racing against McIntosh, Yu narrowly missed out on an individual medal by finishing fourth in each of her events – the 400m medley, 200m butterfly and 200m medley where she touched just 0.06 seconds from a bronze medal.

Already her rivals are predicting Yu will be a major force at the 2028 Olympics.

Canada's Mary-Sophie Harvey, who held off Yu for bronze in the 200m medley, said: "I think going into LA we're probably going to see her a lot more."

American Alex Walsh, who took silver, said Yu was "phenomenally talented at such a young age".

But there are also concerns about the physical and mental toll on someone so young.

"Now she's gonna have a lot of pressure," said Harvey.

USA BITE BACK

The United States, who will be under huge pressure to deliver in the pool at their home Games, endured a turbulent time in Singapore.

Most of the squad had to battle acute gastroenteritis following a pre-competition camp in Thailand.

That led to stinging criticism from Phelps and fellow Olympic swimming great Ryan Lochte, with wider concerns about the management of the team in and out of the pool.

Lochte shared an image on Instagram depicting a funeral that featured a tombstone inscribed: "In loving memory of United States Swimming."

"They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it," the inscription said, with Lochte adding the caption: "Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years."

The slight did not go down well in Singapore, with three-time Olympic gold medallist Bobby Finke among the American swimmers biting back.

"There's just so much stupid stuff that's getting said," said Finke.

The United States set two relay world records in Singapore and topped the final medals table with nine golds, one ahead of Australia.

Third were France, with Leon Marchand blowing off the post-Paris Olympics cobwebs to smash Lochte's 200m individual medley world record from 2011.

The 23-year-old Marchand, the face of the Paris Games with four individual golds, also romped to victory in the 400m medley.

"It's not perfect, because it's never perfect, but it's more than I expected, especially the world record in the 200m medley," he said.

"It shows that I still have a passion for swimming, that I love it."

China's Yu Zidi said she felt "quite emotional" after the 12-year-old became the youngest swimmer in history to win a world championships medal.

Yu swam in the heats of the women's 4x200m freestyle relay but missed Thursday's final as China claimed bronze behind Australia and the United States in Singapore.

Yu, who was competing in the women's 200m butterfly final on Thursday – finishing fourth – received a medal as a member of the Chinese relay team.

"It feels quite emotional, it's a nice feeling," she said.

Yu has turned heads with her performances in Singapore.

She qualified for Monday's 200m individual medley final and finished fourth, missing out on a medal by just 0.06sec in what is not considered her strongest event.

She followed that up with another fourth in the 200m butterfly final and will also compete in the 400m individual medley.

Yu, who turns 13 in October, discovered swimming at age six as a way to cool off during China's roasting summers.

She has drawn historical comparisons to Denmark's Inge Sorensen, who at 12 was the youngest-ever winner of an Olympic swimming medal with bronze at the Berlin Games of 1936.

But not everyone thinks Yu should be competing in Singapore.

Some in the sport have raised questions about the mental and physical impacts of high-level training and competing at an age when she is still developing as a person.

Under current World Aquatics rules, the minimum age is 14 but younger swimmers can compete at the championships if – like Yu – they are fast enough.

Swimming is a sport well used to talented teenagers, but Yu Zidi's participation aged 12 at the world championships has sparked debate about how young is too young.

The prodigious Chinese schoolgirl is not just making up the numbers at the event in Singapore this week.

Yu qualified for Monday's final of the 200m individual medley and came fourth, missing out on a remarkable medal by just 0.06sec in what is not considered her strongest event.

The race was won by Canada's Summer McIntosh – she competed at the Tokyo Olympics as a 14-year-old and last summer in Paris won three golds at age 17.

Yu was at it again on Wednesday in Singapore, racing alongside comparative veteran McIntosh to reach the finals of the 200m butterfly.

Yu, who turns 13 in October, will also race in the 400m medley later this week.

The Chinese prodigy, who discovered swimming aged six as a way to cool off in China's roasting summers, has drawn historical comparisons to Inge Sorensen.

At 12, the Dane was the youngest-ever winner of an Olympic swimming medal after her bronze at the Berlin Games of 1936.

More recently, there was Bahrain's Alzain Tareq, who was 10 when she competed at the swimming world championships in Kazan, Russia, in 2015.

Unlike Yu, however, she never came close to a medal.

Asked this week if she was a "genius", Yu replied: "No, not really. It's all the result of hard training."

'TOO EARLY'

While Yu's performances have been impressive and could well yield a medal, not everyone thinks she should be competing in Singapore.

Some in the sport have raised questions about the impact on Yu mentally and physically of high-level training and competing at an age when she is still developing as a person.

Under current World Aquatics rules, the minimum age is 14 but younger swimmers can compete at the championships if – like Yu – they are fast enough.

Christian Hansmann, sports director of German swimming, called her participation in Singapore "questionable".

"Putting a girl of 12 in front of a world championship crowd of 5 000 spectators, with the high pressure from the media and the coaches, is far too early in my opinion," said Hansmann, who has children of a similar age.

French swimmer Lilou Ressencourt admitted it "pisses me off to be beaten by a girl 10 years younger than me" and said she was surprised by how fast Yu is at such a young age.

She too fears for Yu's physical and mental well-being.

"I'm 22 and handling world championships, even French championships, can be difficult," Ressencourt told AFP.

"I tell myself that at 12, you have a heavy responsibility... it's not normal at 12 to have that kind of pressure."

FINDING BALANCE

Yu's presence in Singapore could force a rethink of the rules at World Aquatics, the sport's governing body.

Executive director Brent Nowicki admitted they had been surprised that someone as young as Yu had been fast enough to qualify.

Nowicki said World Aquatics "feel quite good about where we are with our safeguarding approach in our sport", but admitted that Yu could force a re-evaluation of its rules.

"She's great. I mean, there's a big future there for her. Hopefully there could be good things that could happen out of this, and it could be great," he said.

But he added: "Obviously we have to make sure that that's what it is, right? We don't want to tip that balance and go the other way, and we have to be careful about that."

Many other sports have wrestled with the same age issue.

In 2022, ice skating's governing body voted to raise the minimum age for senior competition from 15 to 17, months after an Olympics drug scandal involving Russian teenager Kamila Valieva.

Katarina Witt, who was 18 when she won Olympic skating gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Games for East Germany, said the change was "primarily protecting the female athletes from their sometimes over-ambitious managers".

World record holder Regan Smith was fastest in the women's 100 metres backstroke preliminaries at the world championships in Singapore on Monday as the American laid down an early marker in her upcoming battle with Australia's Kaylee McKeown.

The pair have built up quite the rivalry, with McKeown completing a triumphant defence of her Olympic 100 and 200 backstroke titles when the two faced off in Paris last year, with Smith having to settle for silver in both events.

Smith came into the world championships as the top seed in the event ahead of five-time Olympic gold medallist McKeown and posted a time 58.20 on the second day of competition at the Singapore Sports Hub.

American Katharine Berkoff was second quickest with 58.55, while 2023 world champion McKeown's time of 58.57 put her in third heading into the semis later on Monday.

In the men's event, world record holder and Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon was given a scare as he only squeaked into the semifinals with the 13th-fastest time in the heats.

Frenchman Yohann Ndoye-Brouard was fastest, touching the wall in a personal best 52.30, with Russian Kliment Kolesnikov, competing as a neutral athlete, second quickest with 52.57.

Italian Ceccon's time was 1.35 adrift of Ndoye-Brouard's mark.

American great Katie Ledecky put the disappointment of missing out on the 400 freestyle title on Sunday behind her with a strong swim in her signature event – the lung-bursting 1 500 freestyle.

The 28-year-old, who is the world record holder and has won five world titles in the event, posted a time of 15:36.68, which was more than 10 seconds quicker than Australia's Lani Pallister, the winner of the second heat.

Ireland's Mona McSharry posted 1:05.99 to go through fastest in the women's 100 breaststroke heats, nearly half a second ahead of defending champion Tang Qianting of China, who was seventh quickest (1:06.45).

World record holder Lilly King was well off the pace but scraped through in 15th almost a second down on McSharry's time.

There were few surprises in the men's 200 freestyle as Olympic champion David Popovici of Romania turned up the heat in the final 50 to put down a time of 1:45.43.

American Luke Hobson qualified second fastest in 1:45.61 but China's Pan Zhanle failed to progress, the 100 freestyle Olympic champion and world record holder trailing in 22nd in the heats.

"I'm not sure what happened, and I'm not happy with this time," Pan said. "But it won't affect my upcoming races. The 200m and 100m are two different events."

In the evening programme, all eyes will once again be on Canadian powerhouse Summer McIntosh as she goes for her second gold of the meet in the women's 200 individual medley, while China's 12-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi is also in action.

French hero Leon Marchand and Canadian prodigy Summer McIntosh headline as swimming's world championships begin in Singapore on Sunday with thoughts already turning towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Marchand is appearing at his first major competition since rocketing to global fame at last year's Paris Games, where he won four golds in front of an adoring home crowd and lived up to his billing as the next Michael Phelps.

The 23-year-old skipped the world short course championships in Budapest in December, saying he was "exhausted" after his Olympic exertions.

He returned to action in May and will concentrate on the individual medley events in Singapore.

Having broken Phelps's 400m medley world record at the world championships in Japan two years ago, Marchand now has his sights set on Ryan Lochte's long-standing 200m medley mark.

"He wants to see what happens in the 200m medley, without having any other races on his plate," Marchand's club president in Toulouse, Michel Coloma, told AFP.

MCINTOSH ON FIRE

While Marchand is still feeling his way back to action after his Olympic heroics, McIntosh heads to Singapore in red-hot form.

The 18-year-old broke three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials last month, including Hungarian great Katinka Hosszu's decade-old 200m medley mark.

It was the first time any swimmer had broken three different long course world records at one meet since Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

McIntosh won three gold medals at the Paris Games and said she was "super pumped" after her scintillating start to 2025.

"I think the goal is always to be faster and that's how I approach every day in training," warned McIntosh, who is set to compete in five individual events in Singapore.

McIntosh smashed Australian Ariarne Titmus's 400m freestyle world record but the pair will not go head to head in Singapore, with Titmus taking time off before she prepares for the LA Games.

Several other leading swimmers are doing the same, with Britain's Adam Peaty, Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom and Hungary's Kristof Milak among those sitting out.

There will be no shortage of stars competing in Singapore, however, with American great Katie Ledecky high on the billing.

Ledecky has also broken a world record this year, updating her own 800m freestyle mark that had stood since the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 28-year-old is competing at her seventh world championships and is looking to add to her collection of 21 gold medals.

"I have been to a lot of these but I still feel like I get the same excitement, the same energy from the team," she said.

Ledecky and McIntosh will clash in the 400m and 800m freestyle, with the latter race billed as the one to watch in Singapore.

The US team also features Gretchen Walsh, who lowered her own 100m butterfly world record twice in one day in May.

Bobby Finke, Torri Huske, Jack Alexy and Regan Smith also compete for the Americans.

PRE-TEEN PRODIGY

At the other end of the experience spectrum is 12-year-old Yu Zidi, who was picked by China after announcing herself in stunning fashion at her country's national championship.

Yu, sporting a cartoon dog on her swimming cap, qualified for three individual events and is part of a Chinese team that also includes men's 100m freestyle world record holder Pan Zhanle and breaststroke contender Qin Haiyang.

China will be looking to finish high in the medal table but they will be hard pushed to break up the battle for top spot between the United States and Australia.

The Australians might be missing Titmus but Olympic champions Kaylee McKeown, Mollie O'Callaghan and Cam McEvoy should ensure they bring home plenty of gold.

The Australian squad also features several new faces, including 16-year-old Sienna Toohey.

Head coach Rohan Taylor called Singapore crucial experience for the 2028 Olympics.

"The end goal is LA, but to be great in LA this very young team, which boasts 10 rookies, is going to learn what is needed on the global stage in Singapore," Taylor said.

Olympic champions David Popovici of Romania, Germany's Lukas Maertens and Italy's Thomas Ceccon are all also in action.

Three world records in five days put Summer McIntosh in rare company, and now the 18-year-old Canadian swimming sensation is primed to take the world championships by storm.

McIntosh won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics last year and then broke three world records in a breathtaking performance at the Canadian trials in June.

The teenager is the first swimmer to set world records in three different individual events since Michael Phelps did it on the way to his glittering eight-gold haul at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"Absolutely wild," McIntosh said of the accomplishment in an interview with Canadian broadcaster CBC.

Then she promptly pointed to a litany of things she could improve on in each race, saying the self-criticism is part of her mission to keep testing the boundaries of her sport.

"I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect race, at least I haven't done it yet," she said ahead of the world championships in Singapore starting on Sunday.

"There's room for more, and that's what keeps me going. And I'm also still so young, I have so much more to achieve, and I know I can get so much stronger."

That competitive spirit runs deep in the McIntosh family.

Her mother Jill competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in swimming and older sister Brooke is a top pairs figure skater who won bronze in 2022 at the world junior championships.

"We're very competitive. This is really in our blood," Brooke once said.

WANTING MORE

McIntosh's rapid journey to the pinnacle of swimming has taken her from Canada to Florida, where she trained with the Sarasota Sharks from 2022 and through the Paris Games.

After the world championships she will begin training with Phelps's mentor Bob Bowman in Texas, as she builds toward the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

In the meantime, she has been training since January with French coach Fred Vergnoux and his group in Antibes, crediting his contribution to "the best meet of my career" despite the relatively brief association.

"I've gone way faster than I ever could have imagined," she said.

At the Canadian trials in Victoria, she smashed the 400m freestyle world record with a time of 3 minutes 54.18 seconds, regaining a mark she had lost to Australian Ariarne Titmus.

She also broke the decade-old 200m individual medley world mark and lowered her own 400m medley world record.

In between, she threatened Katie Ledecky's latest 800m free world mark on the way to the third-fastest time in history.

She also clocked the second-fastest 200m butterfly ever, edging toward the record set by China's Liu Zige in 2009.

McIntosh launched her Olympic career in 2021 in Tokyo, where at 14 she was the youngest member of the Canadian team.

She didn't win a medal, but in Paris last summer, she took gold in the 200m butterfly, 200m medley and 400m medley, and claimed silver in the 400m free.

In Singapore, she's expanding her programme to include the 800m free and another mouthwatering showdown with Ledecky – one of the swimmers she idolised as a youngster.

Now that she has established herself among swimming's elite, McIntosh has no trouble finding new motivation.

"I always want more," she said.

Four-time Olympic champion Leon Marchand will only compete in the 200 and 400 metres individual medley events at the world championships in Singapore after opting out of the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke, his coach Nicolas Castel said.

The 23-year-old Frenchman won gold in the 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 200 and 400 IM at the Paris Games, as well as a bronze in 4x100m medley.

"He won't be doing the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke," Castel told Franceinfo on Monday.

"It's a choice we made because we're in a post-Olympic year and he's never had the opportunity to do a 200m medley without having a race before or after it on the same day. He wanted to test this isolated 200m medley and see what he was capable of."

The swimming events at the world championships will take place in Singapore from 27 July to 3 August.

Seasoned campaigners Kaylee McKeown and Kyle Chalmers spearhead a young Australia squad for the world championships in Singapore as the swimming powerhouse undergoes a post-Olympics changing of the guard.

Since Paris, where Australia won seven golds to the eight by the United States, several big names have either retired or are resting.

Australia's most successful Olympian, Emma McKeon, has hung up her goggles as have other stalwarts including Mitch Larkin, Brianna Throssell, and Jenna Strauch.

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus – who lost her 400m freestyle world record to Canadian Summer McIntosh last month – is on an extended break.

That has opened the door for 10 debutants to make the Australia squad for the World Aquatic Championships, where the action in the pool begins on Sunday.

Head coach Rohan Taylor characterised Singapore as the beginning of a new cycle building to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and a key learning experience for Australia's next potential superstars.

"I am excited by what this team can do over the next four years," said Taylor.

"This is the beginning of the third Olympic campaign I have been the head coach for, and this team has a strong nucleus in place.

"The end goal is LA, but to be great in LA this very young team, which boasts 10 rookies, is going to learn what is needed on the global stage in Singapore."

Eleven of the squad are aged 20 or under.

At just 16, Sienna Toohey has Australian fans most excited after she came from nowhere to qualify for the 50m and 100m breaststroke.

Australia also have high hopes for fellow newcomers such as Hannah Fredericks (200m backstroke) and Ben Goedemans (800m freestyle), while Ella Ramsay, 21, will contest four events.

The experienced core of the squad is led by Paris Olympics 50m freestyle champion Cameron McEvoy, who will be at his seventh world championships.

His close friend Chalmers – who has won medals in the 100m free at three consecutive Olympics including gold on debut in Rio 2016 – toyed with packing up swimming after Paris, but a new coach has rejuvenated him.

SCINTILLATING FORM

He was in scintillating form at the trials, qualifying in speedy times for the 50m and 100m freestyle, and the 50m butterfly.

"I'm just trusting what I have been doing in training, listening to what my coaches are telling me, trusting that we've done the work," said Chalmers, who has won 12 world championship medals, including five golds.

The women are headlined by McKeown, who successfully defended her 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Paris.

She will also swim the 50m in Singapore – an event added to the Olympic programme in 2028 – looking to emulate the treble she won at the 2023 world championships.

Like McKeown, Olympic 200m champion Mollie O'Callaghan has been open about her struggles mentally after the high of Paris, where she achieved her dreams with three golds, a silver and a bronze.

She has refocused and is a gold-medal prospect in both the 100m and 200m freestyle.

Fast-rising teenager Olivia Wunsch is Australia's other women's 100m freestyle entrant, also qualifying for the 50m free alongside Olympic silver medallist Meg Harris.

Lani Pallister has taken giant strides since the Olympics and had a breakthrough trials.

She became only the third woman to swim under 15min 40sec in the 1500m freestyle behind American great Katie Ledecky and the retired Dane Lottie Friis.

Pallister also shattered Titmus's 800m national record and went under four minutes for the first time in the 400m.

"I think I've shown what I can do and I'm excited to build on it – I don't think this is my limit," she said.

Winning medals at international events is almost second nature to 21-year-old Pieter Coetzé. A quick glance at his World Aquatics profile will show that he has already won 23 medals (12 gold, 7 silver, and 4 bronze).

A definite highlight was the gold, silver and bronze he won at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, as well as the bronze medal he won at the World Championships in Doha last year. He also holds 17 Swimming World Cup medals and 5 Junior World Championship medals to his name.

It can now be almost predicted that he will win two or three medals at the FISA World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr in the next four days. This morning, he was a member of the South African 4x100m freestyle relay team that qualified for the finals.

Tomorrow, the first-year Tuks psychology student will compete in the 100m backstroke. According to the start list statistics, Coetzé is the fastest swimmer in the event. In the 50m backstroke, he is the second fastest. He will, unfortunately, not compete in the 200m backstroke as he will also be competing in the World Championships in Singapore, which start next weekend.

The time difference between Germany and Singapore is six hours. According to TuksSwem head coach Rocco Meiring, Coetzé must have sufficient time to acclimatise. Therefore, he will miss out on competing in the 200 m backstroke.

Coetzé is often referred to as a true competitor. Someone who likes to test himself against the best. When asked if this is the case, the Tuks swimmer replied, "A lot of times when I train, it feels like I'm just an average swimmer. When I race, something happens. I'm different when competing than when training. I like competition and the pressure that comes with it."

In an interview earlier this year, Coetzé mentioned that when it comes to pure swimming, he is one of the fastest. Asked to explain, he said, "It's not me saying that. Many coaches from around the world have made the observation.

"According to them, there are few swimmers who can keep up with me when I swim. It's with the underwater technique and the turns that I lose time. I could see that clearly when I watched last year's videos of the Olympic 100 and 200-metre backstroke finals. The underwater technique doesn't come naturally to me, but I've put in a lot of effort to improve it. I am better at it now."

The 200, 100, or 50 metre backstroke - which one does he prefer?

"You could say the 200m backstroke is my best event, but I will always compete in the 100 and 50 metres. Remember, I come from a sprint background."

Tuks's Hannah Pearse advanced to the semifinals of the 200m backstroke in the World University Games heats this morning, swimming a time of 2:11.80. Her time was the seventh fastest in the heats and only 0.07 seconds slower than her personal best.

The River Seine reopened to swimmers in Paris on Saturday morning, marking the first time since 1923 that bathers could take a dip in the iconic waterway following a years-long cleanup effort.

A few dozen people of all ages arrived ahead of the 8:00 am (0600 GMT) opening of the Bras Marie swimming zone – one of three open in Paris this summer – donning swim caps and goggles as they prepared to dive in and celebrate the long-awaited return of bathing in the Seine.

"I thought it would be freezing cold but it's actually great," said Karine, 51, a care worker from southeast of Paris, and one of the first to jump in.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open-water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters which were specially cleaned for the event.

"It's a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine," said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who visited the site in the city's historic centre near the Ile Saint-Louis.

"Look at how happy everyone is," she said with a smile.

Parisians and visitors looking to cool off this summer can take the plunge – weather permitting – under the watchful eye of lifeguards in fluorescent yellow T-shirts at the three bathing sites, including one a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower.

The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers, and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 people to relax, lay out their towels, and unwind from the city's hustle and bustle.

Paris officials say they have taken several measures to ensure swimmers can safely enjoy the long-anticipated reopening, including daily water pollution testing and implementing a swim test for bathers.

"The water quality is "exceptional", said Marc Guillaume, the prefect for the Ile-de France region that includes Paris.

"We are monitoring two bacteria, E. coli and enterococci, and for one we are ten times below the thresholds and for the other more than 25 times below," he said.

But officials reminded swimmers of potential dangers, including strong currents, boat traffic, and an average depth of 3.5 metres (11 feet).

"The Seine remains a dangerous environment," said local official Elise Lavielle earlier this week.

To mitigate that risk, lifeguards will assess visitors' swimming abilities before allowing independent access, while a decree issued in late June introduced fines for anyone swimming outside designated areas.

The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future president Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal, around 65 years after the practice was banned in 1923.

'MORE PEACEFUL LIFE'

"One of my predecessors (Chirac), then mayor of Paris, dreamed of a Seine where everyone could swim," President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, describing the move as the result of a "collective effort" and a moment of "pride" for France.

Ahead of the Olympic Games, authorities invested approximately 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) to improve the Seine's water quality.

Since then, work carried out upstream promises even better water quality – with one catch.

On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and waste waters to pour into the river.

Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains, the sites will likely close the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan.

Swimmers may be in luck this year, though, with weather predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the Games, which led to the cancellation of six of the 11 competitions held on the river.

The opening comes after the French capital during the week endured a major heatwave that saw Paris put on the weather agency's highest alert level during a Europe-wide heatwave.

Hidalgo, who took the inaugural swim last year, said that cleaning up the Seine for the Olympics was not the final goal but part of a broader effort to adapt the city to climate change and enhance quality of life.

"Heatwaves are only going to increase", the Paris mayor said, adding creating safe swim spaces will foster a "happier, and undoubtedly more peaceful life with our fellow citizens".

One of the swimmers on Saturday expressed gratitude for the Seine's re-opening.

"Thank you, Ms. Hidalgo. This is so cool," the bather shouted from the water.

The swimming spots are open to the public for free until August 31.

Julius Yego, the former world champion famously known as "Mr. YouTube", faces a lonely battle to preserve javelin's future in Kenya as he prepares for Saturday's Neeraj Chopra Classic with the weight of an entire sport on his shoulders.

The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist stands as Kenya's sole representative in javelin at World Athletics Championships, a contrast to his country's dominance in distance running that has produced athletes like Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon.

"India, of course, being a very big economy, has really been able to help Chopra. I would say maybe the Kenyan story is a little bit different because there isn't much support in the sport as such," Yego told Reuters.

"You can see it's only me who is still there. I'm in the last stages of my career and then we haven't got big support as I would want it to happen, but hopefully it will continue.

"I can't even push when I'm not there (retired). So I can't even be part of the people who really want to make the change when I'm not active," added 36-year-old Yego, who won the world title in 2015.

Coming from countries with less exposure in athletics, Yego finds kinship with Chopra in their shared mission to expand javelin globally.

"We want to make the sport grow even bigger because it is a footprint that matters a lot. What we have done so far and what will happen after us, we want the sport to continue even when we are no longer there," the 36-year-old said.

With the worlds looming in Tokyo in September, Yego said he was operating at "90 per cent fitness" due to injury concerns and with a couple of months to go before the competition starts, he does not want to rush into anything.

The Kenyan also reflected on his country's depth of talent in athletics, praising triple world and Olympic 1 500 metres champion Kipyegon's recent achievements.

Kipyegon last month fell short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes when she clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project that, though faster than her own world record, will not be ratified.

"Kenya has big talent, especially in track. Faith's done so well. She's done great in her push to break the four-minute barrier," he said.

However, he expressed a particular interest in nurturing "the next generation of javelin throwers."

Apart from Yego, Irene Jepkemboi can be his country's next hope in the sport after she became the first Kenyan female athlete to surpass the 60-metre mark in the javelin last month.