Dhaka: Swimming superstar Leon Marchand won the 200m individual medley world gold on Thursday to go with his record as Summer McIntosh clinched a third title in Singapore. The 23-year-old Frenchman Marchand has solidified his status as a leading figure in men’s swimming by breaking Ryan Lochte’s long-standing world record from 2011.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Marchand’s new mark of 1 minute 52.69 seconds in the world championships semi-finals surpassed Lochte’s 1 minute 54.00 seconds, adding the 200m medley world record to his 400m record. Just a day after his record-breaking swim, Marchand returned to the pool, overcoming fatigue to claim the world crown with a time of 1:53.68, the second-fastest time ever recorded. American swimmer Shaine Casas provided stiff competition, finishing second in 1:54.30, while Hungary’s Hubert Kos took third place in 1:55.34.
Marchand, who had previously won four individual golds at the Paris Olympics, secured his first gold in Singapore. Reflecting on his performance, he expressed excitement despite the exhaustion, citing the record-breaking achievement as a significant goal. Marchand is set to compete in the 400m medley in Singapore later this week.
Meanwhile, Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh is on the verge of challenging Michael Phelps’s record of five individual titles at a single world championship. The 18-year-old secured her third gold in as many events with a win in the 200m butterfly, narrowly missing the world record. McIntosh completed the race in 2:01.99, just shy of the world mark of 2:01.81 set by Liu Zige of China in 2009. Despite not achieving her goal, McIntosh expressed satisfaction with her personal best.
American Regan Smith finished second in the event with a time of 2:04.99, followed by Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers at 2:06.12. Twelve-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal for the second time at the championships. McIntosh, who is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200m butterfly, has already claimed victories in the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley in Singapore. She is set to compete against American legend Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle.
Romania’s David Popovici completed a sprint double by winning the 100m freestyle final, adding to his victory in the 200m freestyle. Popovici set a championship record with a time of 46.51 seconds, while Jack Alexy of the United States took silver with 46.92 seconds, and Australia’s Kyle Chalmers claimed bronze with 47.17 seconds.
In the women’s 50m backstroke, Katharine Berkoff led a United States one-two finish, edging out teammate Regan Smith with a time of 27.08 seconds. Mollie O’Callaghan helped Australia win a thrilling women’s 4x200m freestyle relay final, narrowly beating the United States. China secured bronze, much to the delight of Chinese fans present in the arena, concluding the fifth day of competition.