South Africa’s swimmers collected one gold and three bronze medals at the first stop of the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Carmel, Indiana, to finish 10th on the overall medal table after three days of competition.

Nineteen-year-old Chris Smith produced a breakthrough performance to claim gold in the men’s 50m breaststroke, edging out the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau by just three hundredths of a second in a thrilling finish. Smith touched in 25.75 seconds, the fastest short course time in the world this year. Belarusian Ilya Shymanovich secured the bronze in 25.79.

The young South African narrowly missed out on another final in the 100m breaststroke, placing ninth overall in 57.95 seconds – just five hundredths of a second shy of the top eight.

Smith’s coach at Alcatraz Swimming Club in Centurion, Michelle Vlasakova, who has guided him since the age of 10, was thrilled with his performance, after the talented teen just missed out on the medals at both the long and short course world championships.

“I’m very proud of Chris, that he finally got it. I think he really deserved it this time. He’s been so close at the last two big international meets,” said Vlasakova.

“We both believed he could do it, and I even told him: ‘You can go so much faster’ after the heats. I know what he can do in training, and he also knows it… so definitely a lot of confidence for him going forward and training towards the Commonwealth Games and Olympics and the World Championships before that. I think he’s unstoppable now if he keeps believing in the programme and in the coaching.”

MENTAL TOUGHNESS

Vlasakova believes that what separates the medallists from the rest of the pack on the international stage is their mental toughness.

“I think that is what Chris is best at. He’s very mentally strong. When he puts his head to something, no one can tell him otherwise.”

Vlasakova said she believes there’s still room for technical improvement with both her and Smith harbouring “big goals” of breaking former Olympic champion and world record holder Cameron van der Burgh’s national and continental records and reaching the top of the podium at the Commonwealth Games and Olympics.

Meanwhile, back in Carmel, Rebecca Meder secured two podium finishes and set an African record. She earned bronze in the women’s 200m breaststroke, clocking 2:18.14 behind Olympic champion Kate Douglass (2:13.97) and Germany’s Anna Elendt (2:17.80). The 23-year-old’s time was just 0.12 of a second off the national and continental short course record set by four-time Olympic medallist Tatjana Smith back in 2020.

Meder returned to the pool to secure another bronze in the 200m individual medley, breaking her own South African and African record with a time of 2:05.56. The race was won by American Alex Walsh in 2:04.76, with Britain’s Abbie Wood taking silver in 2:05.14. Meder also secured fifth-place finishes in both the 100m breaststroke (1:04.41) and the 100m individual medley (58.26).

While pleased with her performances, the New Zealand-based swimmer said afterwards she was still hoping for more.

“I’m happy with the times that I posted. Obviously, I always want more, and I want to be better, and I want to be faster, so I’m chasing down those African records, especially in the 200 breaststroke and the 100 breaststroke because I’m very close,” she said.

“You supposedly need to get faster each leg as you go along, and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to race all these girls. Last year, I was only able to do the first leg and this year I’m able to do all three, so I’m really excited to see how I progress through the series and just learn from all the racing and competing against the world’s best.”

Veteran star Chad le Clos, who is the most decorated male swimmer in Swimming World Cup history, continued to build on that legacy, claiming bronze in the men’s 100m butterfly in 49.57 seconds. Switzerland’s Noe Ponti took gold in 48.53 with Canada’s Ilya Kharun second in 49.02.

Le Clos also placed 11th in the 50m backstroke (23.86) and 23rd overall in the 100m freestyle (47.85) but was disqualified from the 50m butterfly.

The only other South Africans in action were the US-based duo of Marizel van Jaarsveld and Francois Malherbe. Van Jaarsveld placed 15th overall in the women’s 50m breaststroke (31.59) and 22nd in both the 100m breaststroke (1:08.80) and 200m breaststroke (2:36.20), while finishing 18th in the 200m individual medley (2:19.06). Malherbe competed in a busy freestyle programme, finishing 31st in the 50m (22.30), 34th in the 100m (49.17) and 35th in the 200m (1:48.33).

The second stop of the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup takes place from 17-19 October in Westmont, Illinois. While Smith has headed back to South Africa, Meder will be aiming for a return to the podium in Westmont.

Australian Kaylee McKeown clocked a sizzling 25.42sec to win the women's 50m backstroke at the World Cup short course meeting in Carmel, Indiana, on Friday.

McKeown, a five-time Olympic gold medallist who claimed a backstroke double at this year's World Championships in Singapore, led an Aussie one-two ahead of Mollie O'Callaghan.

World record-holder Regan Smith opted out of a clash with rival McKeown in the 50m back and instead delivered a stellar performance in the 200m butterfly, winning in an American record of 2:00.28.

The first finals at the #Swimming World Cup started strong to secure those first point for the rankigns🤩

Women's 50m Back - Kaylee McKeown
Men's 100m Fly - Noe Ponti
Women's 200m Back - Regan Smith
Men's 200m Back - Hubert Kos
Women's 400m Free - Lani Pallister
Men's 400m… pic.twitter.com/b4ye2OzJnH

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) October 10, 2025

Hungarian Olympic gold medallist Hubert Kos fended off French superstar Leon Marchand to win the men's 200m backstroke in 1:46.84.

Marchand, who trains with Kos under coach Bob Bowman in Texas, led early but settled for second in 1:47.68 ahead of American training partner Shaine Casas (1:49.81).

Marchand, who lit up the 2024 Paris Olympics with four gold medals, is coming off an impressive two-gold campaign at the World Championships.

He opted out of the 100m individual medley on Friday and went for the 400m freestyle. Swimming in the penultimate heat of the timed final he clocked 3:38.25, which held up for third place in a race won by American Carson Foster in 3:37.80.

Canadian star Summer McIntosh, who won four gold medals and a bronze at the World Championships, withdrew from the meeting because of illness.

Team South Africa continued to show impressive form at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore on Friday.

Nathan Hendricks just missed out on a medal in the S13 400m freestyle for visually impaired swimmers, finishing fourth in 4 minutes 15.28 seconds. Gold was claimed by Russian Egor Shchitkovskii in a time of 4:02.14.

“Last night I swam the 50 free so it was quite a tight turnaround to the 400 free this morning, being the first event,” he explained afterwards. “So this morning was me just trying to make certain I made the final, and then in the final it was just go guns blazing and see how I do. I left everything in the pool, so I was very chuffed with this race.”

As for the position he finished, Hendricks added: “I was quite chuffed with the placing, coming fourth. I was quite happy with that. Time-wise, I’m OK with it, I could do a lot better but now I know what I can work on, especially more into the swim and the turns because the turns weren’t too great, but I can definitely work on those and get better.”

NEW AFRICAN RECORD

Meanwhile, after already securing three medals at these championships, Christian Sadie once again went quicker than ever before, setting a new African record in the S7 50m freestyle. The 27-year-old finished in a time of 28.70 seconds to finish fifth in the final, with the gold once again going to Ukrainian Andrii Trusov in 27.98 seconds.

“Today went quite well overall. The 50 free is always a fun one. I think it’s just a splash and dash and small technical things need to go right, and execution needs to be good,” said Sadie.

“I think in the morning, the swimming was really good, but there were some small technical things that I got really wrong,” he added.

“It was a good time, but for what I knew I should have been doing, maybe not as great as we could have had. But in the evening we fixed up all of those things. The technical stuff was a lot better and execution was also a lot better, so overall I feel like it was really good in the morning and we were able to improve in the evening as well.”

After also progressing through their morning heats of the S13 400m freestyle, Alani Ferreira finished seventh in the final in 4 minutes 56.05 seconds, while Danika Vyncke was eighth in the same race in 5:05.55.

The World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore come to an end on Saturday, 27 September.

Michael Phelps has launched a scathing attack on USA Swimming's leadership, with the 23-time Olympic gold medallist branding the body weak and demanding sweeping reforms after what he sees as years of organisational decline.

The 40-year-old American, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, delivered his broadside while revealing he might not want his four young sons competing in the sport, given the current state of swimming in the United States.

Phelps traced his frustrations back through his competitive career, saying he often felt that his voice went unheard, was "told to be grateful for the chance to compete," and that it was more important to stay quiet and to keep the peace.

"First, I must be clear that I have the utmost respect for the US swimmers that competed at the World Championships," Phelps, who retired in 2016, wrote in a lengthy Instagram statement.

"My criticism is in no way directed at them – I know how hard they work and how honoured they are to represent the US National Team. My criticism is about the system, its leadership, and how it's failing.

"There have always been cracks in the system but in the last nine years, I've seen those cracks grow."

Reuters has contacted USA Swimming for comment.

Phelps compared the success of the US swim team at the Rio Olympics in 2016, where they won 33 medals, to the Paris Games last year when they slumped to their lowest medal haul in the pool (28) since the 2004 Games in Athens.

'POOR LEADERSHIP'

Phelps also revealed that he sent a letter to USA Swimming earlier this year addressing his "frustrations with the current state of the sport," which was shared with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee outlining his concerns.

He said he had the support of former Olympic medallists, world record holders, coaches and current and former staff members, but added that the letter "seemed to fall on deaf ears".

"I've asked myself what's changed in our sport and the answer is clear ... this isn't on the athletes as they continue to do the best they can with what they've been given. This is on the leadership of USA Swimming," he added.

"Poor leadership trickles down and can impact an organisation at every level.

"Money is a factor. But poor operational controls and weak leadership are a cornerstone of the sport's problems."

Phelps proposed a series of reforms, including an independent review of USA Swimming's Board of Directors and its organisation, improving athlete services and strengthening grassroots efforts to reverse membership decline and foster growth.

"I offer up my service to be a resource in these proposed initial steps and I am hopeful that the USA Swimming community will accept my offer," he added.

LOCHTE CRITICISM

Earlier this month, Phelps, along with six-time Olympic champion Ryan Lochte, made their disappointment clear after the US team's performance at the World Championships in Singapore.

Lochte shared an image on social media of a tombstone with the inscription: "In loving memory of United States Swimming. They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it."

Lochte added a caption referencing the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, saying: "Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years."

Phelps shared Lochte's post and added: "Is this the wake-up call USA swimming needed?"

Despite early struggles in Singapore, the US finished top of the medals table with nine golds and 29 medals overall.

Former Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock won the men's 10km open water race at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Wednesday, after the race was postponed because of poor water quality off Sentosa.

The German swimmer, 27, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, secured his seventh global gold in open water swimming with a time of one hour, 59 minutes, and 55.50 seconds.

"It was really tough today. I think it was the warmest waters that we've had to race in," Wellbrock said.

"I had one year to prepare for this. We did a lot of heat training and I think that was the key today to me taking the gold."

 

🥇 World Champion
Florian Wellbrock 🇩🇪 conquers the 10km #OpenWater title with an incredible pace of 1:12 per 100m 🔥🌊 #AQUASingapore25 pic.twitter.com/tUspLmb01I

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) July 16, 2025

 

Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri, a six-time world champion across pool and open water disciplines, finished 3.7 seconds behind Wellbrock to claim silver, marking his 17th career world championship medal.

"I knew Greg (Paltrinieri) was on my feet all the time. In the last lap, I saw it was Ollie (Klemet) and Greg on my back," Wellbrock said.

"It's so dangerous when they're so close, especially Greg - he always has such a great finish. I was really nervous and tried to push all the time."

Australia's Kyle Lee clinched bronze with a time of 2:00:10.3, edging Germany's Oliver Klemet by just one second.

The race, initially scheduled for Tuesday, began on Wednesday because water quality readings exceeded acceptable thresholds.

 

GREG D’ARGENTO 🤩🥈

Ai Mondiali di Singapore arriva la prima medaglia per l’Italia firmata da Gregorio Paltrinieri: nella 10 km in acque libere, l’azzurro viene battuto solo dal tedesco Florian Wellbrock 💪#Nuoto #Paltrinieri pic.twitter.com/T9VcqVBNoZ

— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) July 16, 2025

 

Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown eased to the 100m backstroke title at the Australian trials on Monday as she builds towards another showdown with American arch-rival Regan Smith at the Singapore world championships.

McKeown, whose world record was taken by Smith last year, coasted home at Adelaide in 57.71 seconds ahead of Olympic 200m freestyle champion Mollie O'Callaghan (58.85), who also qualified.

McKeown and Smith share the 20 fastest times in history with their showdown at the worlds in Singapore next month shaping as another major highlight in their storied rivalry.

"There's still a lot of work that needs to go in, but that's just where I am at the moment," said McKeown, who holds the world record in the 50m and 200m backstroke.

"I had a really good underwater, so happy with that."

Fresh off an eye-opening performance in the 200m medley on Monday night, Ella Ramsay also qualified for the 100m breaststroke in 1:06.86.

But Ramsay – now under the wing of British breaststroke king Adam Peaty's ex-coach Mel Marshall – was stunned by another young prospect in 16-year-old Sienna Toohey who clocked a career-best 1:06.55.

"I'm so excited because I've worked so hard. I was so nervous," said Toohey, who was in tears afterwards.

Another fast-improving star is Alex Perkins, who posted a sizzling personal best to win the 100m butterfly on Monday and make the plane to Singapore next month.

She followed it up with the second fastest time ever by an Australian in the 50m butterfly heats and went even faster to win the final in 25.36.

Lily Price, second to Perkins in the 100m butterfly, repeated the feat over 50m with both women potential medal prospects.

"It's good to be able to convert faster from heats to finals," said Perkins. "I felt like I nailed my race plan."

Only American Gretchen Walsh has swum quicker than Perkins this year.

Another new talent announced himself in the men's 200m freestyle with 20-year-old Ed Sommerville scorching to the wall in 1:44.93, the world's second fastest this year behind German ace Lukas Maertens.

Sam Short, who had already secured his ticket to Singapore in the 400m freestyle, qualified in second.

"I'm glad to show what I can do," said Sommerville, who has had success in short-course swimming but was competing in his first long-course 200m freestyle in two years.

Hentie Nortje wants to make his swims across Midmar Dam count. This year will mark the 25th consecutive time the blind attorney and Tshwane municipal councillor has participated in the aQuellé Midmar Mile and he has decided to raise funds for the place his education began – the Prinshof School for the Visually Impaired in Pretoria.

“There are numerous things which keep me coming back each year,” explained Nortje. “I have really enjoyed the challenge each year and swimming is also a method of keeping me fit.

“After I swam 10, the challenge to increase the number of completed Midmar Miles always was a further goal.”

While this year marks his 25th, it was 12 years ago that Nortje decided to start raising money for various good causes – something thousands of swimmers do each year. In fact, since 2016, the aQuellé Midmar Mile has raised close to R20 million for charity.

Asked what makes the event so special, Nortje explained: “The Midmar Mile is, in the first instance, the biggest open-water swimming event in the world and still is very well planned and organised. It makes space for all walks of life and even the disabled. Disability is not always the priority for individuals, institutions and the government in South Africa.

“I would like to see myself as an activist for the disabled. This project for the 2025 Midmar Mile will contribute to teaching foundation phase learners at Prinshof School to swim and be safe in water,” he added.

ACCOMMODATING THE DISABLED

Like last year, Nortje will swim with his son, Henco, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing when it comes to his guide swimmers.

“During a race some time ago, my pilot decided to drop out of the race halfway through the mile and left me ‘high and dry’ in the middle of the dam. Due to common sense of some marshals, I was fortunate to get another pilot and could complete the race.”

Nortje will be one of the many swimmers with a disability who will take to the famous KwaZulu-Natal dam in the first event on the morning of Saturday, 8 February.

“At the end of each Midmar Mile, I am always relieved, thankful and motivated for the next year. I must give credit to the organisers for having this event for so many years now, and, as I have pointed out, to specifically also accommodate the disabled,” he added.

Those wishing to still enter the aQuellé Midmar Mile, which takes place from 6-9 February, can do so at the dam on the day as online entries are now closed. Swimmers are urged to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Two-time Olympic open water swimming champion Sharon van Rouwendaal has confirmed her participation in this year’s aQuellé Midmar Mile which is set to take place at the famous KwaZulu-Natal dam from 6-9 February 2025.

Just five months ago the Dutch swimmer stood atop the Olympic podium for a second time, following up her gold medal in the 10km marathon swim at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020 with another gold in Paris last August.

Now she’s headed to South Africa, not only to once again compete in the world’s largest open water swimming event, which she won in 2023, but also to share her knowledge and experience in a series of six coaching clinics across the country.

Apart from her Olympic heroics, the Dutch star has also claimed three open water world titles, including doubling up with gold medals in both the 5km and 10km events at last year’s World Championships in Doha.

Van Rouwendaal’s coaching clinics will take place in Johannesburg, Cape Town and at Midmar Dam itself between 24 January and 8 February.

MEMORABLE

The 31-year-old said her incredible experiences at the 2023 aQuellé Midmar Mile were what convinced her to return.

“I did the Midmar and I saw what a huge event it was so it made me say: ‘OK, I'm definitely coming back, this is definitely something I want to participate in again and be part of again,” she explained.

“The experience was really special, also because when you run out [at the finish] the vibes were incredible, everybody's cheering you on.

“I think it feels like a family event… somehow everybody wants to participate and that's why it's such a big event because it feels like coming together.”

Van Rouwendaal added that while she hopes that having the chance to swim with a two-time Olympic champion might motivate others to participate, she herself was inspired by swimmers she met at Midmar Dam two years ago, including double amputee Chad Gifford who has participated in the event over 10 times.

“Those are the people you will always remember talking to,” she said. “That he's so positive, he did the Midmar, so I hope to see people like that again… It had a big impact on me that this man was so positive and wanted to swim.”

Van Rouwendaal is also relishing the prospect of sharing her expertise with the swimmers who will attend her coaching clinics.

“Lately there are a lot of people who want to improve in open water and they ask me about stroke correction, so I try and improve their technique.

“In open water it's very important to do good buoy turns, and how you do your sighting, where do you look, how do you lift your head up, when do you lift your head up, and then there's a big part of drafting… so that's the stuff I teach.”

Meanwhile, after minimal training since the Paris Olympics, Van Rouwendaal believes she’s unlikely to record another victory in the elite women’s race, but with the aQuellé Midmar Mile spanning just 1.6km rather than the 10km she completed in the French capital, she’s sure to remain a massive threat come 9 February.

Australia's head swimming coach Rohan Taylor was on Friday reappointed to take the country's powerhouse team through to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Taylor was instrumental in steering Australia to a record nine gold and 21 medals overall at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics behind only the United States.

He repeated the feat at the Paris Games this year when they collected seven gold among 19 medals.

"I am honoured to be leading the Olympic programme to LA and privileged to be working with the coaches, athletes and high performance leadership that make our Dolphins team successful," he said.

"None of us exist in isolation and the quest for excellence is ongoing across all programs."

His first task will be preparing a team for the World Swimming Championships in Singapore next year, and then the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as they build towards Los Angeles.

Swimmer Emma McKeon, Australia's most decorated Olympian and an eight-time world-record holder, retired from the sport on Monday aged 30.

McKeon won 14 Olympic medals, six of them gold, over the Rio, Tokyo and Paris Games this summer.

"Today I am officially retiring from competitive swimming," she said on Instagram, along with a collage of clips showcasing her many career highlights.

"Leading into Paris I knew it would be my last Olympics and the months since have given me time to reflect on my journey and think about what I wanted my future to look like in swimming," she said.

It was at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 that McKeon really made her name, winning an unsurpassed seven medals to join the all-time swimming greats.

Her four gold and three bronze bettered the six won by East German Kristin Otto (1988) and American Natalie Coughlin (2008).

It also matched the record for most decorated woman athlete at a single Games, tied with Russian gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya (1952).

A versatile and tenacious freestyle and butterfly racer, her career looked in jeopardy after failing to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic team.

Instead, she went on to become her country's most honoured Olympian – a field with plenty of competition given Australia's swimming prowess.

"I am proud of myself for giving my swimming career absolutely everything, both physically and mentally," she said on Monday.

"I wanted to see what I was capable of – and I did."

Born in Wollongong in New South Wales, McKeon, whose excellence was matched by her humility, had heritage in the pool with her father Ron swimming at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

McKeon's mother Susie swam at the 1982 Commonwealth Games while her brother David competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, with Emma and David becoming the first brother and sister to swim for Australia at the same Games in 56 years.

"She was and will continue to be a great role model for younger athletes," said Australian swim team head coach Rohan Taylor.

"She always carried herself with dignity and while we all saw her grace the public can not truly appreciate how tough she is."

Her long-time personal coach Michael Bohl added: "She is a quiet achiever, hated any fuss, didn't want any notoriety.

"But she took great pride in representing her country and supporting her teammates.

"What she has achieved in our sport is unsurpassed."

Australia's Olympic Committee hailed her for consistently "setting the standard for excellence" while Swimming Australia said she would be remembered in the same vein as greats like Dawn Fraser and Ian Thorpe.

"She will also be remembered for how she represented swimming," said Swimming Australia chief Rob Woodhouse, McKeon's uncle.

"The standards she set in and out of the water were second to none and she has a lifelong love of the sport, so she won't be disappearing from swimming."

Working hard and never giving up is why Tatjana Smith and Donald Ramphadi, respectively, are Tuks' Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year.

Smith again had a phenomenal year in the pool, where she confirmed her dominance in breaststroke swimming by winning the 100m breaststroke at the Paris Olympic Games and finishing second in the 200m breaststroke.

In doing so, she became the most decorated South African Olympian, with two gold and two silver medals in her name. Her achievements have cemented her status as the GOAT (greatest of all time) swimmer in South African Olympic history.

Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole won bronze in the men's quad-doubles, beating Brazil's Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva in the playoff for third place during the Paris Paralympic Games. It is the first time African wheelchair players have medaled at the Games.

Ramphadi also contested the semifinals in the doubles and singles at the Australian and French Open Tournaments.

MEDAL DEDICATED TO TEAM

Ramphadi dedicated the medal to the team that has supported him in the Paris Games build-up.

"I want to encourage people to support us as wheelchair tennis players as it is an expensive sport. There is so much raw talent in South Africa who, if supported, can make South Africans feel proud. It is important to me to feel like an elite athlete all the time, not only when competing at the Paralympic Games or a Grand Slam Tournament. Getting the support will boost our confidence."

Edmund du Plessis, a fourth-year medical student, is the Tuks Student Sportsman of the Year. His performance in the 800 metres during the Paris Olympics was gutsy.

He ran from the front when he saw no one prepared to race in the semifinals. The challenge was to have a top-two finish. He got oh so close to doing so. He was still second with about 15 metres to race, but unfortunately, his legs went on strike. Two athletes passed him over the final metres, leading to him missing out by 0.17 seconds to go through to the final. It was the first time he competed at the Games.

Of the nine races he competed in internationally, he won four and was second twice and third once. Du Plessis set a new personal best in the 800 metres, running 1:44.22. It is nearly three seconds faster than he did last year. He is also the SA champion for the 2nd consecutive year.

Erin Gallagher, a BSc Geography and Environmental Science student, is the Student Sportswoman of the Year. At the South African Championships, Erin set an African and South African record in the 100m butterfly, clocking 57.32 seconds. She also set a South African record in the 50m butterfly, finishing in 25.59 seconds. During the Paris Games, she competed in the semifinals of the 100m butterfly.

Rocco Meiring is the Individual Coach of the Year, and Maude Khumalo is the Team Coach of the Year.

Leon Marchand qualified fastest for the final of the 100m individual medley at the short-course World Cup in Shanghai on Friday in his first swim since his Paris heroics.

The 22-year-old Frenchman, who won four gold medals and was the poster boy of the Olympics this summer, blitzed his heat in 51.65 seconds.

Switzerland's Noe Ponti qualified second-fastest (52 seconds) and China's Wang Shun third (52.15).

Marchand will also face off in the final later on Friday against home hero Pan Zhanle, who won two golds in Paris including the 100m freestyle in a world-record time.

Marchand was thrust into the global spotlight at the Paris Olympics when he won all four of his individual races – the 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke and 200m-400m medley double.

That put him in elite company alongside American legend Michael Phelps.

Regan Smith clocked a world record 57.13sec to win the 100m backstroke at the US Olympic swimming trials on Tuesday, throwing down a challenge to Aussie Kaylee McKeown six weeks before the Paris Games.

Smith eclipsed the world record of 57.33 set by McKeown in Budapest in October 2023.

"It was part of the plan," Smith said of regaining the record she held back in 2019.

She'd signalled her intentions by lowering her American record to 57.47 in the semifinals and with Katharine Berkoff pushing her all the way she came up with a late push to slice two-tenths of a second off McKeown's mark.

"I'm so proud of myself," said Smith, who earned two silvers and a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. "Backstroke is hard for me sometimes, but to fight back like this and get that back means a lot."

WORLD RECORD 🤯

Regan Smith shatters the 100m back world record clocking a 57.13!

📺: @nbc & @peacock #MTUSA | #SwimTrials24 pic.twitter.com/KfaNiKwLa6

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) June 19, 2024

Berkoff finished second in 57.91 to set up a powerful US one-two punch in the event in Paris, where McKeown will still be a formidable rival. She posted the 57.41sec at the Australian trials last week.

Smith, who just missed out on a Paris berth in the 100m butterfly behind world record-setter Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske, has two events remaining this week at Lukas Oil Stadium, the cavernous home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts that is hosting the event for the first time.

"We're going to take a couple of minutes here to be really proud of what I accomplished and then it's back to work," Smith said. "I've got more things that I want to accomplish this week."

Bobby Finke, double distance freestyle gold medallist in Tokyo, booked his 800m title defense with a victory in 7min 44.22sec, with teenager Luke Whitlock second in 7:45.19.

In his first event of the trials, Tokyo Games star Caeleb Dressel made it safely into the men's 100m freestyle final with the third-fastest time of the semis.

Dressel's five gold medals in Tokyo included the 50m and 100m free and the 100m butterfly.

But he arrived at the trials with his level something of a mystery after he stepped away from the sport abruptly at the 2022 world championships. After a nine-month break he failed to qualify for the 2023 worlds.

Chris Guiliano, already Paris-bound after finishing second to Luke Hobson in the 200m free, topped the semifinals in 47.25sec.

In the second semi, 21-year-old Jack Alexy held off Dressel, Alexy winning in 47.33 and Dressel touching in 47.53.

It was Dressel's fastest in two years, and he was beaming as he checked the scoreboard and shook hands with Alexy over the lane rope.

Simone Manuel, who won women's 100m free gold at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 but missed the final at the trials for Tokyo as she struggled with the effects of over-training syndrome, won her semifinal in 53.16sec to go into Wednesday's final second-fastest behind Huske.

Huske clocked a personal best 52.90 in pursuit of her second ticket to Paris.

Three Chinese swimmers among 23 involved in a drug scandal ahead of the Tokyo Olympics had tested positive for banned substances in separate cases several years earlier, the New York Times reported on Friday.

The Times said the three athletes – including two 2021 Olympic gold medallists and a current world record holder – tested positive for clenbuterol in 2016 and 2017.

Chinese authorities argued the three athletes had ingested the substance inadvertently through contaminated meat, and no disciplinary action was taken.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), said in a statement released on Friday that the three athletes in question were found to have levels of clenbuterol which were between "six and 50 times lower" than the minimum reporting level currently used by the agency.

Swimming's international governing body was made aware of the cases and did not take action after apparently accepting the explanation, the Times reported.

Wada director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement the case highlighted the problem of clenbuterol contamination in meat.

"The issue of contamination is real and well-known by the anti-doping community," Niggli said.

"Over the years, there have been thousands of confirmed cases of contamination in its various forms, including more than 1 000 for meat contamination in Mexico, China, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and other countries.

"The athletes in question were three such cases. They were elite level swimmers who were tested on a very frequent basis in a country where meat contamination with clenbuterol is widespread so it is hardly surprising that they could be among the hundreds of athletes who also tested positive for tiny amounts of the substance.

"In each of these cases, the source of the clenbuterol was confirmed to be food contamination."

It was not made immediately clear why the three cases were not made public at the time.

The latest revelations come after the sporting world was rocked by reports in April which revealed that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a prescription heart drug, trimetazidine (TMZ), ahead of the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Chinese authorities said the athletes had ingested the substance unwittingly through contaminated food.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said Wada and China's anti-doping body had "swept those positives under the carpet", describing the case as a "potential cover-up."

Wada responded furiously to those accusations, insisting the case had been handled according to existing protocols and denying claims of a cover-up.

The agency said it had "concluded that it was not in a position to disprove" that contamination was the source of the TMZ and that given the circumstances, "the athletes would be held to have no fault or negligence."

Joseph Schooling, who famously beat his idol Michael Phelps in Rio to become Singapore's first and only Olympic champion, said Tuesday he was retiring from competitive swimming.

Schooling made the announcement on social media eight years after stunning the world by beating American great Phelps to win 100m butterfly gold.

Schooling failed to qualify for the same event at Tokyo 2020 and his career started to ebb after winning gold medals in the 50m and 100m butterfly at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

"Today marks the beginning of a new chapter – I will be retiring from competitive swimming," the 28-year-old said on Instagram.

"I am filled with gratitude for every experience that swimming has brought into my life.

"The victories were exhilarating, the defeats humbling and together they have forged a resilience in me that I will carry forward into my next chapter."

In an interview with the Straits Times newspaper, Schooling said he had become complacent.

"My mistake was the complacency to think that this will last forever because I'm so far ahead," he said.

"Add on ego, add on pride. Add on that 'I'm never going to be shut down attitude'. That's a recipe for complacency. That's one of the lessons that I learnt."

Doubts were cast on his future when he pulled out of last year's Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games, saying he was "not at the level" to do his best.

Schooling, who has performed two years of mandatory military service, was mired in controversy in 2022 after confessing to taking cannabis overseas.

Singapore has some of the toughest drugs laws in the world, and citizens can face up to 10 years in prison if found to have consumed illegal substances outside the city-state.

Schooling was given a warning and placed on a supervised urine test regime for six months.

He was also made no longer eligible for leave to train or compete during his military service.

"While I am stepping away from competing, swimming will forever be a part of who I am," he said.

"It has given me a platform to inspire others to chase their dreams, no matter the odds."

Schooling told the Straits Times he was now going to work with two venture capital partners in the "health and wellness, tech and sustainability" sectors, and play more golf.

Paralympic swimming icon Jessica Long is gunning for more glory at the upcoming Paris Games after a traumatic journey from a Siberian orphanage to a phenomenal career in the pool.

Long is one of the faces of American para sports with 29 Paralympic medals since her first Games in 2004 as a 12-year-old, one more than her friend Michael Phelps who is the most decorated Olympian of all time.

The 32-year-old, who was born with fibular hemimelia and had both legs amputated below the knee while still a baby, has two more Paralympics at which to increase her bulging haul of honours as she plans on hanging up her swimming cap after the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

"I obviously want to win gold and do the best that I can. Whatever happens I'm so very grateful and proud of what I've done... I think that it would be amazing to end on home soil," Long said in an interview with AFP organised with swimwear manufacturer Arena.

Long is a legend in her discipline but as she plans on taking part at only two more Paralympics she will not be able to reach the medal record of 55, set by fellow American Trischa Zorn 20 years ago.

That is because, unlike in Zorn's day, swimmers are limited to seven events at the Paralympics, meaning the maximum Long can get to is 43.

"I do wonder what I could have done if I could have swam so many events. Especially when you're little because your body just doesn't hurt," says Long.

"In one Paralympics (Seoul 1988) she (Zorn) won 12 gold medals because there were more opportunities. Bring back the events!"

 'Swim with integrity' 

Long is concerned for the integrity of her sport as she says swimmers are manipulating the classification system for disabled athletes.

Para swimming, like other disabled disciplines, categorises athletes so that they compete with people of similar physical abilities, with review swims used to classify competitors.

But there have been a number of cheating scandals in para sports. Once such example came in 2022 when Indian discus thrower Vinod Kumar was banned for two years for deliberately misrepresenting his abilities at the last Paralympics in Tokyo.

Long says intentional misrepresentation during review swims is still a huge problem in her sport.

"Just because people have disabilities, people are afraid to test it or question it. But I think you need to look at it more closely," says Long.

"Doping (control) is supposed to be random, right?... But when it comes to reviewing classifications they (the athletes) know that they're being reviewed... and we all know how to swim slower.

"You have to swim with integrity. That's the whole message of the Paralympic movement."

 'Anger and abandonment'

Paralympics athletes are often represented as against-the-odds stories but Long, who says that she wants to "be an inspiration", had an upbringing that was more eventful than most.

Born in the Siberian town of Bratsk, Long was abandoned as a baby by her Russian biological parents and adopted from an orphanage by American couple Steve and Beth Long when barely a year old.

Raised in Baltimore, Long did not meet her biological parents until she was in her early 20s, by which time she was already a multiple Paralympic gold medal winner.

Long is fully aware of the potential horrors that would have awaited her had she not been adopted.

"I don't think my life would have been very good, it would have been very ugly," says Long.

"I think you can only imagine what orphans go through, they go through a lot of terrible things. Horrible sex trafficking. I think that would have been my life."

Long admits to being angry "all the time" as a child and a young para swimmer, at her disability, being abandoned by her biological parents, and being "looked down on" as a disabled athlete.

She tells AFP how she was pushed to train with Olympic athletes like Phelps after "nobody knew or cared" when she took out the medals she won at the 2012 Paralympics at airport security on her way back to the States.

"Anger is a very powerful emotion that I don't think we talk about enough," says Long.

"People ask me where my success comes from and I would say 'abandonment and anger'.

"I truly think my success came from just wanting to be enough. And at some point I had to really re-evaluate and say 'I just love to swim'."

The curtain came down on the swimming programme at the African Games in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday with South Africa’s swimmers adding eight more medals to their haul – four of them gold.

Catherine van Rensburg was back on the top of the podium for her fourth individual gold medal of the championships after cruising to victory in the 800m freestyle.

The 19-year-old dominated the race from the start and steadily built on her lead to finish in 8 minutes 50.78 seconds – a full 18 seconds clear of her nearest rival, Lojine Hamed of Egypt who took the silver in 9:08.82.

Georgia Els collected her first individual gold medal of the meet in the 200m individual medley. She finished in 2:17.65, over two seconds ahead of Egypt’s Nour Elgendy.

Andrew Ross took silver in the men’s event, finishing in 2:03.26 with Algerian Jaouad Syoud taking gold in 2:01.44.

Caitlin de Lange secured a silver in the 50m freestyle final losing out to Egypt’s Farida Osman who took the gold with a new African Games record of 24.72 seconds. De Lange wasn’t far off, finishing second in 24.99.

Clayton Jimmie also missed out to an Egyptian who set a Games record in the men’s event, claiming the silver in 22.54 with Ali Khalafalla taking gold in 22.02 seconds.

There was bronze for Matthew Caldwell in the men’s 1500m freestyle after finishing in a time of 16:10.89 behind the Egyptian duo of Marwan Elkamash (15:39.07) and Ahmed Ali (15:58.23).

SA teams once again dominated in the relays with both the women and men storming to gold in the 4x100m medley relay to finish the evening on a high.

The women’s team of Tayla Jonker, Simone Moll, Hannah Mouton and Caitlin de Lange claimed victory in a time of 4:11.89, finishing well ahead of Egypt (4:17.81) and Algeria (4:25.69).

The men’s quartet of Jonah Pool-Jones, Petrus Truter, Jarden Eaton and Clayton Jimmie finished in 3:43.07 with Egypt second in 3:44.79 and Algeria third in 3:45.67.

That took the SA swimming squad’s total medal haul to 46 which included 17 golds, 16 silver and 13 bronze medals.

SA swimming medals at the African Games

GOLD (17)

Clayton Jimmie (100m freestyle), Caitlin de Lange (100m freestyle), Catherine van Rensburg (1500m freestyle), Simone Moll (100m breaststroke), Catherine van Rensburg (400m freestyle), Cailtin de Lange (50m backstroke), Jonah Pool-Jones (50m backstroke), Catherine van Rensburg (400m individual medley), Simone Moll (50m breaststroke), Catherine van Rensburg (800m freestyle), Georgia Els (200m individual medley), Mixed 4x100m freestyle relay (Cailtin de Lange, Georgia Els, Andrew Ross, Clayton Jimmie), Mixed 4x100m medley relay (Tayla Jonker, Petrus Truter, Jarden Eaton, Caitlin de Lange), Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay (Hannah Mouton, Leigh McMorran, Kate Meyer, Catherine van Rensburg), Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay (Jarden Eaton, Cameron Casali, Liam Vehbi, Jonah Pool-Jones), Women’s 4x100m medley relay (Tayla Jonker, Simone Moll, Hannah Mouton, Caitlin de Lange), Men’s 4x100m medley relay (Jonah Pool-Jones, Petrus Truter, Jarden Eaton, Clayton Jimmie)

SILVER (16)

Matthew Caldwell (800m freestyle), Leigh McMorran (200m butterfly), Hannah Mouton (200m freestyle), Georgia Els (100m breaststroke), Caitlin de Lange (50m butterfly), Tayla Jonker (200m backstroke), Matthew Caldwell (400m freestyle), Kate Meyer (200m breaststroke), Tayla Jonker (50m backstroke), Jarden Eaton (100m butterfly), Kate Meyer (50m breaststroke), Tayla Jonker (100m backstroke), Andrew Ross (200m individual medley), Caitlin de Lange (50m freestyle), Clayton Jimmie (50m freestyle), Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay (Andrew Ross, Tumelo Mahan, Cameron Casali, Matthew Caldwell)

BRONZE (13)

Liam Vehbi (200m butterfly), Catherine van Rensburg (200m freestyle), Andre Ross (200m freestyle), Jarden Eaton (50m butterfly), Helgaard Muller (200m backstroke), Hannah Mouton (400m freestyle), Cameron Casali (400m freestyle), Georgia Els (200m breaststroke), Andrew Ross (200m breaststroke), Kate Meyer (400m individual medley), Jonah Pool-Jones (100m backstroke), Liam Vehbi (400m individual medley), Matthew Caldwell (1500m freestyle)

While the country’s swimming team left the World Aquatics Championships in Doha with one bronze medal, thanks to Pieter Coetzé’s performance in the 200m backstroke, the pick of the SA athletes competing in the other sports contested at the event in Qatar was diver Julia Vincent.

Having already booked her ticket to Paris at the last World Championships in Japan, Vincent was using this event as vital preparation for the Olympic Games and was thrilled to secure a top-10 spot in the final of the 3m event.

“I’m very happy with my performance in Doha,” she said after returning to her base in the United States. “I was a little worried going into it in some ways and in some ways, I felt a peace. But I was a bit worried because my training hasn’t been nearly as long as I’d like it to be – just dealing with injury and stuff so I definitely was going in just hoping to see where I was at and see what I could do with the training that I had leading into it, so I’m pretty happy with that.”

Vincent finished in 16th place in the 3m preliminaries before improving to 10th spot in the semifinals. Competing in the final, she was up to sixth place at one stage but ultimately finished in ninth spot with an overall total of 279.40 points.

China’s Yani Chang (354.75) and Yiwen Chen (336.60) claimed the gold and silver with Korean Suji Kim taking bronze with an overall score of 311.25 points.

Speaking about her improvement through the rounds of competition, Vincent explained: “I find prelims more nerve-wracking than anything. That’s just for me personally the hardest to compete in from a mental standpoint.

“I feel a lot more relaxed knowing that I’ve made a semifinal and especially in the final I feel like I have nothing to lose so I just move freely, dive the way I normally dive – or at least attempt to do that – whereas in the prelim… I find it very stressful. So I think I improve because I become more relaxed. I just become more comfortable as each round goes by.”

The 29-year-old diver has a busy few months ahead as she prepares for Paris with several international competitions and World Cups on the agenda, but she said this result was an ideal way to kick off the year.

“I do think this performance is important leading into Paris, in the build-up. It just starts the year off on a good note. At the same time, there’s a lot of time between now and Paris so I would love to be a lot better by the time Paris rolls around. I definitely think this is a great step in the right direction beginning the Olympic year,” she said.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s other divers in Doha did not progress past the preliminaries. Bailey Heydra finished 29th in the 1m event and 17-year-old Zalika Methula was 35th overall. Heydra was 42nd overall in the 3m.

Speaking about her teammates, Vincent reckoned: “I think experience goes a long way and I’m sure over the next couple of years we’ll see that improvement as they head to more competitions.”

Elsewhere, the pick of SA’s open water swimmers was Amica de Jager who finished 22nd in the 5km event in 59:04.00 and 27th in the 10km in 1 hour 58:38.60.

Tory Earle was 25th over 5km while Callan Lotter finished 29th in the 10km.

The men’s team found it tougher going with Connor Albertyn 47th and Rossouw Venter 63rd in the 5km and Henré Louw 53rd and Ruan Breytenbach 58th in the 10km.

Over at the artistic swimming venue, the SA team of Holly de Bruyn, Ella Huang, Phindy Makhaye, Tayla-Jade van Huyssteen, Casey Williams and Sarah Williams finished 17th in the Team Technical routine.

After one victory each in their playoff matches, the women’s and men’s water polo teams finished 14th and 15th respectively.

All eyes will be on Australian Nick Sloman when he dives in for the men’s elite race at the aQuellé Midmar Mile on Sunday.

Fresh from a fifth-place finish in the 10km event at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, the 2019 Midmar champion has made his intentions clear – he’s out to break Chad Ho’s 2016 record of 17 minutes flat, having just missed the mark by one second five years ago.

But, aiming to give him a run for his money is young Bedfordview swimmer Matthew Caldwell, who recently took top honours in the final Midmar seeding event at Prime View Adventure & Leisure in Midrand, claiming the 1.5km race in a time of 17 minutes 33.

“I’m hoping to win – that would be very nice – but definitely a top three,” reckoned the confident 17-year-old. Asked whether he’d be providing a challenge to Sloman’s record attempt, his response was a simple: “100 per cent.”

One swimmer who was part of that race in 2019 when Sloman just missed the record was Reino von Wielligh who will be back at Midmar Dam this weekend to tackle the 16-Mile Charity Challenge to raise money for Happy Bundles before taking on the elite race. He’s backing Sloman all the way.

“That’s going to be a very interesting one. I remember the last time he came – he missed that record just, just. I was swimming but I remember seeing the videos – everybody’s standing there cheering him on – so I really hope that he can get that record because that would be a milestone,” said Von Wielligh, who himself will be aiming for a top-10 spot in the elite race.

Also in the mix is two-time Midmar champion Michael McGlynn, who finished in eighth place in the 10km marathon event at the 2021 Olympic Games. Having been out of action for some time, McGlynn will be something of a dark horse, while other top contenders include Connor Albertyn and Ruan Breytenbach – both also recently returned from competing at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

American teenager Max Spory is set to join the men's race following his victory in the OZ Mile in the USA, benefiting from a reciprocal agreement with the aQuellé Midmar Mile. This arrangement ensures that winners of each event are granted a trip to participate in the counterpart race.

INTRIGUING WOMEN'S RACE ON THE CARDS

Meanwhile, the elite women’s race could prove to be an intriguing one. 2023 champion Sharon van Rouwendaal, who recently claimed gold in the 10km and 5km events at the World Championships, will not be back to defend her title, leaving the race wide open, with no other international competitors in the mix.

Hoping to make her mark this year is Carli Antonopoulos who finished sixth in last year’s race.

“It’s always fun being able to race against some international swimmers. We get the opportunity to learn from them but at the same time knowing that this year's Midmar will be won by a South African lady is exciting,” she said.

“You can never go into Midmar overly confident. It’s one of the toughest mile races for me as it’s just a straight line and you never know what the conditions will be like. Going in, I know I can rely on the training I’ve done and hopefully put together a good swim on the day.

“I think every elite swimmer hopes to win the Midmar mile at least once so that is definitely a goal of mine. But at the end of the day, if I can just get a really good swim with the correct line, then I'll be very happy,” added the TUKS student.

Other top contenders in the women’s race include Tory Earle, also straight from the World Championships in Doha.

“I’m feeling pretty good coming into Midmar,” she said. “Honestly, coming right off worlds I don’t have many expectations. I’m doing Midmar because I love this race. It’s always such a vibe, and I always have the best fun, not only racing against my friends, but you’ve just got to love a race organised by Wayne [Riddin – Race Director].

“It’s also my home province and it’s been a while since I raced in KZN, so I’m really excited and looking forward to some fast racing.”

Others to look out for on Sunday will be Samantha Randle, who finished runner-up in 2022, as well as two-time Midmar champion Michelle Weber and Johannesburg swimmer Corné van Schalkwyk, still on the comeback trail after a serious car accident last year.

“I’ve done Midmar since I was six or seven years old so it’s always been the highlight of my year,” said Van Schalkwyk, who claimed the 1,5km title at the final Midmar seeding swim last month. “I love racing Midmar, I love being there – the atmosphere, the people and the dam is so beautiful.”

The aQuellé Midmar Mile takes place at Midmar Dam in KwaZulu-Natal from 8-11 February. 

Entries will still be possible at the dam on race day but those wishing to enter should allow plenty of time for registration.

Also, swimmers are advised that there will be no shuttle service between the finish and start areas, so participants must make their own arrangements to get to the start.

As the Africa Cup of Nations heads into the Round of 16 this weekend, former Afcon champion Mark Fish isn’t focused entirely on football.

The 1996 winner is still making time for his swimming training ahead of next month’s aQuellé Midmar Mile.

“Training is going well,” he explained. “I am in San Pedro in the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations… so training as much and wherever I can. I have a small swimming pool here where I swim in the mornings and walk on the beach and swim in the ocean, so training is what it is.”

The former Bafana Bafana star is in the Ivory Coast as part of the CAF Technical Study team to analyse the games at the ongoing tournament but will make sure he’s back in time to swim his seventh aQuellé Midmar Mile on February 11.

”I love coming back to the Midmar because it’s such a fantastic event, well organised, it is an event where everyone takes part no matter the ages, your sizes, the who’s who, we are there to swim and to enjoy the event.

“Each year it seems to be getting better and better for me… I love this event.”

Fish will once again be swimming with his 13-year-old daughter, Isabella – something which makes the event even more special.

“She will be doing her third one. The first year was a little bit nervous for her, the second year she beat her time by 23 minutes, and this year she said she wants to beat 30 minutes, so I have to train a little bit harder if I want to be the one that’s a little bit faster, or to try and keep up to her.”

While Fish is known more for his footballing exploits, having earned 62 caps for Bafana Bafana over a period of 11 years, the defender reckons swimming training isn’t too far from soccer.

“There are a lot of similarities when you train or focus for an event: the discipline that you need to get up in the morning, do the training that you need to do, and then still carry on and do your day-to-day things. Also staying focused on eating the right things and doing the right things, so yes, it’s very similar.

“When you want to do the best you possibly can you certainly do whatever it takes to be in the best possible shape to do the event.

“So, I’m really looking forward to this year’s event where hopefully this time I will end up in front of my daughter,” he added with a laugh.

While Fish is now an experienced aQuellé Midmar Mile swimmer, having completed his first back in 2017, he had a word of advice to those who might still be deciding whether or not to attempt their first.

“If you’re going to do your first Midmar, come and do it, you will do it, you will finish, and it is a fantastic achievement and a fantastic event. The atmosphere, the organisers, everyone around it makes it an event that you put in your calendar and you work hard for each and every year.

“So if this is your first Midmar, wishing you all the best, keep training and see you on Midmar weekend.”

Those eager to get in on the action at the aQuellé Midmar Mile, which takes place from 8-11 February, have until 31 January to get their pre-entries in. Entries to certain events will be possible at Midmar Dam on race day but at a higher fee. Pre-entry is highly recommended to avoid any delays at the dam. For more information, head to www.midmarmile.co.za