2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
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Day one of the 2025 World Championships did not disappoint as we saw high-octane racing in the men’s and women’s 400m freestyle finals as well as in the men’s and women’s 4x100m free relay finals.
Several semi-finals unfolded this evening in Singapore as well, including the women’s 200m IM which saw Canadian champion Summer McIntosh dive in shortly after winning 4free gold.
Australia pulled out the victories in both relays in fine fashion, with the nation’s anchors in both races overtaking the Americans to wind up atop the podium in each.
World Aquatics talked to several of tonight’s spotlight stealers to get their take on how things transpired to kick off their World Championship campaigns.
Men’s 400 Freestyle – Final
- World Record: 3:39.96 – Lukas Märtens, Germany (2025)
- World Junior Record: 3:44.31 – Petar Mitsin, Bulgaria (2023)
- Championship Record: 3:40.07 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
- 2023 World Champion: Sam Short, Australia – 3:40.68
- 2024 Olympic Champion: Lukas Märtens, Germany – 3:41.78
- Lukas Martens (GER) – 3:42.35
- Sam Short (AUS) – 3:42.37
- Kim Woomin (KOR) – 3:42.60
- Victor Johansson (SWE) – 3:44.68
- Zhanshuo Zhang (CHN) – 3:44.82
- Marco de Tullio (ITA) – 3:44.92
- Peter Mitsin (BUL) – 3:45.28
- Oliver Klemet (GER) – 3:46.86
Flash Quotes:
GOLD – Lukas MARTENS (GER)
On the pressure of competing as Olympic champion:
“There was a lot of pressure. Also as a world record holder, it was not easy to fight these guys. But I tried my best, I gave out everything, and I’m really happy and proud to be a world champion. Now, Germany has a new world champion, and that’s not usual I think. Really proud.”
On the strength of German swimming now:
“We took a big step forward. The whole team, all the girls and guys. We are a really young team, and there is a lot to come. Now, I’m one of the older guys and I’m 23. So that means a lot, and I’m really proud to be a part of the German team.”
SILVER – Samuel SHORT (AUS)
On finishing on the podium:
“It’s good to be back on the podium. It was a pleasure racing the Olympic champion, world record holder and world champion. So I knew he was gonna be a tough opponent. I’m super pumped to come out here and I could hear the crowd from inside the tunnel. I’m really proud of how hard I pushed myself and got the silver medal and to get back on the podium, it’s a long meet to come.”
On his race strategy:
“I don’t know, two 400m (swims) in one day is hard. In hindsight, I probably could have backed up more (in the race). So just the high-pressure environment… it’s just a great field, so you don’t know what they’re going to do as well.”
On the close finish:
“I thought I might’ve done enough. Then I saw Woomin coming on the inside… it was a good race. I put my head down in the last 5 metres. I won two years ago by .02s. Fine margins. Maybe if I were as tall as him (MARTENS), I would’ve won, but I’m this shorter.”
“When I was with him (MARTENS) at 100 to go, I knew it was going to be a dog fight. He’s pretty good at everything so I knew I wasn’t going to be pulling away and I was hurting as well. He got a good finish on me and I just wasn’t quite good today.”
On his next events:
“I’m super keen for the 800m, I love that event, hopefully the 4x200m as well. I gave up my individual spot for the 200m and then the 1500m at the end. It’s a bit of a bonus, not really targeting that too much, just in there for a bit of digs on how hard I can hurt myself. But I’m really excited for the 800m, it’s a really good field as well.”
BRONZE – KIM Woomin (KOR)
On getting back to top form after Paris 2024:
“It’s been a while since I did a (3min) 42-second record. If I train harder, I think I’ll break my personal record soon…I want to win Olympic gold, but today I just really wanted to be on the podium. It’s my fourth time in the final. I want to be a swimmer who wins medals every time.”
On comparing the heats and the final:
“I was worried because my pace wasn’t as good as in the morning, but I could feel my body and I was enjoying the atmosphere. I think my body got into the flow naturally.”
On nearly falling behind mid-race:
“I didn’t see it exactly, but I think I was able to catch up thanks to seeing Lukas and Samuel in front of me.”
On representing Asia and physical challenges:
“It’s very hard to prepare for each meet. I have to push myself to the end. If you trust the coach, you can get good results…confidence is very important.
“I had a lot of fun racing against Lukas Martens. There’s a lot to learn from competing with international athletes.”
WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – Final
- World Record: 3:54.18 – Summer McIntosh, Canada (2025)
- World Junior Record: 3:56.08– Summer McIntosh, Canada (2023)
- Championship Record: 3:55.38 – Ariarne Titmus, Australia (2023)
- 2023 World Champion – Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 3:55.38
- 2024 Olympic Champion – Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 3:57.49
- Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 3:56.26
- Li Bingjie (CHN) – 3:58.21
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 3:58.49
- Lani Pallister (AUS) – 3:58.87
- Isable Gose (GER) – 4:02.90
- Jamie Perkins (AUS) – 4:03.20
- Yang Peiqi (CHN) – 4:06.47
- Maya Werner (GER) – 4:09.38
Flash Quotes
GOLD – Summer MCINTOSH (CAN)
On swimming a double and winning the 400m free for the first time:
“While preparing mentally for this world championships, I think tonight is my biggest night of the whole meet. So to come out with a gold medal and a really good, strong semi-final in the 200IM, I’m really happy. I’ve never done a double like that, and I think 400m free, at past World Championships and Olympics, I haven’t been at my best, and I haven’t been where I wanted to be. So to finally stand in the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet.”
On feeling adrenaline, not nerves:
“I was very relaxed, just based off how I’ve been feeling this past couple of months, and especially in warm-up today, I felt really strong. The 200IM semi-final, it was so much fun in the ready room, just chilling. Honestly, this makes me want to do more doubles, and it was definitely an interesting kind of stimulus.”
On recovering well for the 200IM:
“I had a bit more time than I was supposed to, because it was running a bit late. But I like having 20, 25 minutes rather than (like) this morning was like an hour and a bit.”
“(I think being able to) mentally compartmentalise each race individually is a really important skill set that I’ve learnt over the past couple of years.”
On what the 800m free will look like:
“The 400 freestyle for me is basically an all-out sprint. Rather than the 800, you have to pace it a bit more. But overall, my freestyle is feeling strong. So definitely gives me confidence.”
On being fitter now than a month ago:
“I think I’m at my best. I’m in the best shape of my life. So now I just have to act on that and put it into all my races.”
SILVER – LI Bingjie (CHN)
On beating Katie LEDECKY (USA) to the finish:
“It was a surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting to be able to overtake Katie (LEDECKY, USA). I went about the race according to my strategy. In the last 100m, I saw that the gap between myself and her wasn’t too big, so I thought, ‘Let’s give it a go’.”
“She may not be at her peak form now, but this result is still very significant and meaningful to me. I’ve looked up to her since I was a young athlete. I’ve had this dream since 2017, and Katie has always been someone I view as a great athlete. I’ve learnt so much from watching her swim. This result today…it’s given me a lot to think about. It’s very emotional, because it’s been so many years… something that I’ve thought about for so many years. Still, I still want to make improvements so that I will have even more chances to swim against her in the years to come.”
On her personal form:
“I wasn’t feeling too well a few days ago. This morning I felt quite tired in the heats too. But we made adjustments in the afternoon and just tried to take the final with an open mind.”
BRONZE – Katie LEDECKY (USA)
On the result:
“I would’ve liked to be a little faster. I was a little faster earlier this year, so there’s always that slight bit of wanting to be better than that. But I can’t complain with the medal. Fourth place was a 3:58 so that could have easily been me.”
On her next few races:
“I think the first day is sometimes a hit or miss for me at these Worlds. I’m really excited for the distance races, I mean that’s kind of my thing. The 400 is too I guess, but I’m really excited for the 1500 tomorrow.”
4TH – Lani PALLISTER (AUS)
On racing the world’s best:
“I think anyone that you stand up and race against, it’s pretty cool, to be one of the eight best swimmers in the world. A young girl from Singapore actually gave me a pin of me from when I was like five years old, and I was looking at that on my way into the pool today, just on my bag.”
“That little girl would think that I’m just like the coolest person in the world to be standing in that final, let alone being fourth.”
On LA 2028 being her long-term goal:
“It’s been a fun journey so far, but I’m keen to kick on with the rest of the week. If I can drop three seconds in a season, imagine what I can do in three years’ time.”
Women’s 4×100 Free Relay – Final
- World Record: 3:27.96 – AUS (M. O’Callaghan, S. Jack, M. Harris, E. McKeon), 2023
- World Junior Record: 3:36.19 – CAN (T. Ruck, P. Oleksiak, R. Smith, K. Sanchez) – 2017
- Championship Record: 3:27.96 – AUS (M. O’Callaghan, S. Jack, M. Harris, E. McKeon), 2023
- 2023 World Champion: AUS (M. O’Callaghan, S. Jack, M. Harris, E. McKeon) – 3:27.96
- 2024 Olympic Champion – AUS (M. O’Callaghan, S. Jack, E. McKeon, M. Harris) – 3:28.92
- Australia – 3:30.60
- USA – 3:31.04
- Netherlands – 3:33.89
- China – 3:34.17
- France -3:34.62
- NAB – 3:34.69
- Italy – 3:35.18
- Hungary – 3:36.34
Flash Quotes
GOLD – AUSTRALIA
Mollie O’CALLAGHAN (AUS)
On how this gives Australia the momentum heading into the week:
“I think it’s amazing, we have a pretty rookie-dominated team at the moment, so it’s nice to see the younger swimmers lift up. After the Olympics, we had a lot of people take breaks and retire, and it’s great to see (the new athletes) getting the experience and putting down so much effort and determination into this meet.”
“I’m so proud of them, especially for the people who competed in the heats today of the 4x100m freestyle, we couldn’t do it without them. I know they are also looking so it’s nice to see the (gold) come through and it’s a nice set-up for the week.”
On knowing where others are during the race:
“In the pool it’s very hard to understand where you are, especially coming from the end and the girls coming in, it all looks very close. I think a lot of us focused on our own race, especially when you have someone next to you, obviously you’re trying to challenge them, I think that’s quite hard.
“But at the end of the day, these girls followed their own processes, it’s very hard to tell where everyone is in the pool but everyone’s a bit different. Some people know, some people don’t.”
On pressure given Australia’s dominance in this event:
“There was a mention here and there, but we tried to keep it very light-hearted. We’re all quite nervous people. This year it was a bit of a difficult run, coming off the Olympics it’s always an unknown, we’ve got a fresh team.
“But the depth that we have in the women coming through is just so inspiring, and to know that we’re in a strong position for Los Angeles is very nice to know. We all challenge each other at the end of the day so we can keep going.”
Olivia WUNSCH (AUS)
On swimming the anchor leg and what was going through her mind:
“I just wanted to win the race. I had a few things I wanted to work on from this morning’s race. The back end was certainly one of those, so I wanted to really build it strategically and then power over the top. The rest of that is just a race, and definitely getting up for the relays next season, so (that was) just a lot of fun.”
On stepping up to the senior team:
“We’ve all challenged each other through the age group ranks, so it’s really special for us to be able to stand together and share this moment, and it’s really exciting that this is the start of the next block and this is our starting point.”
Meg HARRIS (AUS)
On what the team’s looking forward to:
“This is the start of the next three years, the start of (the journey towards) Los Angeles and these girls coming through are going to be the future of the sport, especially going into Brisbane (2032) as well.”
On watching Olivia WUNSCH’s last leg of the race:
“I was screaming out, I’ve never actually screamed that hard before. It was a very exciting race to watch.”
Milla JANSEN (AUS)
On stepping up to the senior team:
“We’ve kind of grown up together, and it’s amazing we’re in this relay together since we’ve always dreamed about it.”
SILVER – UNITED STATES
Simone MANUEL (USA)
On the silver:
“It means a lot. I think the team definitely had to be adaptable and resilient, and for us to still post a solid time and put together really good splits is something that we can be really proud of, given the circumstances we’ve had to deal with.”
Erin GEMMELL (USA)
On getting a late call-up:
“I mean, they kind of told me that I needed to be ready. And when someone tells you that you’re going to be on a final relay for Team USA, I feel like you sort of ‘lock in’, and you get in the zone. I’m really proud of what I was able to do with that.”
Torri HUSKE (USA)
On being the anchor:
“Yeah, I mean, I definitely tried my best. I just did the best I could to put together the race I could. And even though it was maybe not the outcome I quite wanted, I’m still proud of the fact that I was able to show up and do what I could.”
On how much being ill may have affected the team:
“Yeah, I don’t really want to speak to how much it’s affected us necessarily or like who it’s affected or anything. But I feel like we’ve done a really good job, like Simone said, just staying resilient and staying really positive and kind of just rolling with whatever comes our way.”
BRONZE – NETHERLANDS
Tessa GIELE (NED)
On how she felt about her performance today:
“I wanted to swim a bit faster in my individual 100 fly, but I’m really happy that we could put up such a great performance with the team. I’m just really happy with that.”
“We knew we had a chance on a medal, but you can’t really expect it or hope for it, so we just went into this with all we got, and hoped for the best.”
Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay – Final
- World Record: 3:08.24 – United States (M. Phelps, G. Weber-Gale, C. Jones, J. Lezak) (2008)
- World Junior Record: 3:15.49 — United States (D. Diehl, M. Williamson, H. Williams, J. Zhao) (2023)
World Championship Record: 3:09.06 — United States (C. Dressel, B. Pieroni, Z. Apple, N. Adrian) (2019)- 2023 World Champion: Australia- 3:10.16
- 2024 Olympic Champion: United States- 3:09.28
- Australia – 3:08.97 *Championship Record*
- Italy – 3:09.58
- USA -3:09.64
- Great Britain – 3:10.73
- China -1 3:11.15
- Hungary – 3:12.75
- Lithuania – 3:12.84
- Canada – 3:12.89
Flash Quotes
GOLD – AUSTRALIA
Kyle CHALMERS (AUS)
On the time:
“That’s crazy. We’ve come together really well (during) this staging camp preparation. We believed we could do it and we did it.
“It’s something we’ve been building for a few years now. A few of us came together a few years ago in Fukuoka and we’ve been able to swim some good relays since then. It’s just about believing in each other and all doing it when it counts in that championship final together, and having each other’s back and doing it for each other and lifting for the occasion.
“I trust these guys so much, and knew that they were going to do something special. To be able to be the fourth swimmer and stand there and watch those three legs unfold, I was very excited.”
On whether there was a strategy the team wanted to execute:
“Probably nothing in particular, it’s just a stepping stone in the lead-up to LA. But to win a world title and break a championship record is an incredible honour and something that I’ve been desperate to do for a very long time. I debuted on this relay 10 years ago and we missed the final, and then a couple of years later we progressed and got a bronze medal, and then we got a silver medal, and then we were able to get a gold medal in 2023 and then now to get the championship record… we’re just tracking.
“Every time I get the opportunity to swim this relay at the world championships, we’re going one step better and I’m super excited about the future and just honoured to be a part of this team with three great guys. The depth of the 100m freestyle in Australia – there’s quite a few guys that could step in. We don’t know what happens but I’d love to be a part of that relay in LA and try and stay on top with the guys.”
On where he went after his race:
“I’m very lucky my grandparents got to come to be in the stands tonight. They’ve watched me race internationally I think once before, and that was at the 2015 junior world championships here. So it was special seeing them up there in the stands – two of my greatest supporters – and my mum was also up there. It means so much being able to share that moment with people that have been with me every step of the way and love me so much. That’s the first thing that goes through your mind when you touch the wall, just wanting to share that moment with your teammates and also your loved ones. I’m honoured that I was able to have my family with me in the crowd tonight.”
On how he keeps clocking fast splits year after year:
“I was desperate to have success every time I jumped in the relay and do my job for the boys. They set me up and made my job very easy tonight. Honestly, my mouth was dry after watching Flynn go 47.7 and then Kai 47.0 and I wasn’t sure what Max had split, I didn’t get to look up at the board before I dove in. But I knew he’d swum really well as well and done his very best. I’m just desperate every single time, I race to win and (I’m) super competitive. I love nothing more than a dog fight in that last 50 and getting a hand on the wall first. It’s an honour to represent your country and swim your best for the relay.”
On his rivalry with PAN Zhanle (CHN):
“I’m really excited to be racing against him this year. He’s an amazing competitor. He’s the best 100m freestyler we’ve ever seen, and he swam really well again tonight, so I know it’s shaping up to be another good battle in the individual. We’ve had some good chats since the Paris Olympics last year. I’m a person that really likes to get along with my competitors and talk in the marshalling room, and that helps me stay relaxed. So I look forward to seeing familiar faces in the marshalling room on Wednesday for the 100m freestyle.”
Kai TAYLOR (AUS)
On what was going through his mind after seeing the time and result:
“It’s unreal, so happy to be here with these boys. Felt so much team bonding and (I’m) stoked. Australia’s got a big week ahead of them.”
On their performance:
“Max and Kyle have said it very well, but we all came together in the staging camp like Max said. I think there’s a lot more to it and we all had that trust in each other and we all had that belief, and I think those are two of the biggest things that count for this relay. It doesn’t really matter about times at the end of the day, we all looked at each other before the race and we had trust, and we believed in one another. And it all came together.”
Maximillian GIULIANI (AUS)
On whether winning gives the team good momentum for the rest of the week:
“Totally, winning is a drug and I’m addicted…I couldn’t be happier.”
On their performance:
“It’s super exciting. It’s my first time being part of a 4x100m freestyle relay and it’s a 100 per cent strike rate so far at world championships, which is amazing. Like Kyle said, we came together at the start of our staging camp and spoke about this and we dreamt it and we believed it, and we checked it. We’re an extremely young team, Kyle will be around for a lot longer yet and I think it’s really exciting going into LA.”
Flynn SOUTHAM (AUS)
On whether watching the women’s team win gold gave them motivation:
“Absolutely, just seeing the girls come out and kill it, we were in the marshalling area together just going, ‘Just replicate what they do.’ And we’ve come together and we’ve done it.”
On his split:
“It’s pretty awesome to just come together and do our job individually and that collectively brought us the results. There’s nothing else we could say except that we did our country proud, we did the best we could and the result came.”
On what it means for swimming in Australia with the men and women clinching the double:
“For us, we always come into this Day 1 of racing and the girls always get up before us and win for Australia. The girls are so incredibly deep and strong, so we wanted to be a part of that and have our own gold medal and our own story. We may not be the most talented on paper or the most time-based swimmers, but we get in there, we have the underdog mentality, and we want to have our own success. That was so awesome for us to come out here and do it what we do best, and we won.”
SILVER – ITALY
Thomas CECCON (ITA)
On the result:
“It was an amazing race. Pretty fast time for everyone, especially for Australia. We went pretty fast too, but not fast enough. Very good time for me, 47.1 is pretty solid, so we are happy.
“It’s very difficult after an Olympics. Someone is here, someone is not here. It’s tough for everyone. We’re pretty fine. We changed one member of the relay. The young guy (Carlos D’AMBROSIO), (born in) 2007, he did pretty good, 47.7. Pretty happy.”
On his chances in the 50m fly:
“I want to win it. But I have the 100 back like 15 minutes before, so we’ll see tomorrow.”
BRONZE – USA
Jack ALEXY (USA)
On the result:
“It’s a testament to Team USA’s resilience. Not everything’s going to go perfect. We’ve been training really hard, not only in the past month, but the whole year. To get that done, and obviously we’d like to be on the top of the podium, but can’t complain with bronze going into the next three years. Really proud of these guys, not a bad start for USA.
Patrick SAMMON (USA)
On the final:
“Jack (ALEX) got the lead for us, and it was great to dive in. Overall, I thought it was a first experience, first final, couldn’t have been better than to do it with these guys.”
Great article! I think you guys should indicate (in the title) somehow that this is not only a recap of Chalmers’ quote.
Some of these quotes really show you what makes a champion mentality. Short “how hard I can hurt myself”, McIntosh “Honestly this makes me want to do more doubles”