SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers who the biggest male breakout star of the 2025 World Championships was:
Question: Who was the top male breakout performer of the 2025 World Championships?
RESULTS
- Ahmed Jaouadi – 47.2%
- Pieter Coetze – 46.7%
- Yohann Ndoye-Brouard – 5.1%
- Tatsuya Murasa – 0.9%
Readers were split right down the middle when asked who was the top male breakout of the 2025 World Championships.
After winning double gold in the distance free events, Ahmed Jaouadi edged out Pieter Coetze by a single vote to lead our most recent poll.
Jaouadi, 20, was far from an unknown heading into the World Championships, having won the short course world title in the 1500 free last December, but he was probably the lesser-known swimmer compared to Coetze, 21, who has been a fixture on the global stage since debuting at the Tokyo Olympics.
Both swimmers elevated in a big way last week in Singapore, with Jaouadi sweeping the men’s 800 (7:36.88) and 1500 free (14:34.41) titles, setting a new textile world record in the former.
Coetze, who had signaled he was on career-best form shortly before Worlds at the World University Games, pulled out an upset win in the men’s 100 back in an African Record of 51.85, tying him for #2 all-time, and he also set new Continental Records en route to winning silver in the 50 back (24.17) and 200 back (1:53.36).
Jaouadi has established himself as the best distance swimmer in the world at present, while Coetze is arguably the best male backstroker in the world after winning medals in all three distances.
Yohann Ndoye-Brouard also took a big step forward in the men’s backstroke events, joining the sub-52 club in the 100 back (51.92) and the sub-1:55 club in the 200 back (1:54.62) to collect a pair of bronze medals, though given that Coetze was also in the poll, it was always going to be hard for the 24-year-old Ndoye-Brouard to collect more than a handful of votes.
Japan’s Tatsuya Murasa was the other relative unknown to win an individual medal in Singapore, as the 18-year-old claimed bronze in the stacked men’s 200 free final.
Prior to Worlds, we asked readers what the biggest story was (most interesting to them) heading into the competition:
Question: Which storyline interests you the most entering the 2025 World Championships?
RESULTS
- McIntosh vs Ledecky 800 free (and 400 free) showdown – 39.3%
- McIntosh’s pursuit in 5 individual events – 25.1%
- Popovici firing on all cylinders, setting up exciting 100/200 free – 13.7%
- Marchand’s form coming off Paris – 6.5%
- Can Gretchen Walsh be the sprint queen (50/100 free/fly) with no Sjostrom? – 5.3
- Russians back at first major international LC meet since Tokyo – 4.0%
- McKeown/Smith lock horns again in women’s BK – 3.5%
- Other – 2.5%
Nearly two-thirds of votes (64.4%) went to something related to Summer McIntosh, either her pending showdowns with Katie Ledecky or her pursuit of a potential five individual gold medals.
McIntosh was certainly the story of the championships, with the head-to-head clash with Ledecky in the women’s 800 free being the most anticipated race of the meet, especially after McIntosh was flawless early with wins in the 400 free (over Ledecky), 200 IM and 200 fly.
Ledecky proved her greatness once again by claiming gold in the 800, while McIntosh settled for bronze, but the Canadian teenager bounced back by dominating the 400 IM the next night to join Ledecky as just the second woman in history to win four individual golds at the World Championships.
The other option that garnered more than 10% of votes was David Popovici‘s showdowns in the men’s 100 and 200 free. The Romanian won an exciting clash with American Luke Hobson in the 200 free, and then, despite world record holder Pan Zhanle missing the final, Popovici put on a show by soaring to the world title with the second-fastest swim in history (46.51).
During Worlds, the other top responses in our polls were:
- The biggest surprise after three days of Worlds (outside of U.S. illness) – Elend tops women’s 100 breast from Lane 1 (39.2%)
- Best performance of the championships after Day 5 – Marchand’s 200 IM (76.7%)
- Who will win the women’s 800 freestyle – and will the world record fall? – Ledecky, no WR (48.8%)
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: What did you come away with after the U.S. performance at Worlds?
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
Summer is so amazing for the sport of swimming.
She could have just raced her usual 4 events, and walked away with 4 golds. Instead, she chose to challenge herself and try her hand at the 800 free in a packed schedule, which she hadn’t raced at an a major international competition since Tokyo Olympics, knowing she would face greater scrutiny, criticism, hatred and pressure. She pushes herself because she is a Champion.
I know the only reason why I tune into swimming these days, and the only reason I originally tuned into Swimswam, is because of the talent of Summer McIntosh.
It technically wasn’t her breakout meet because she swam in 2023 and she doesn’t have the golds like Jaoudi or Coetze but I feel it was a massive meet for Lani Pallister, whose swims don’t get as much attention because she just happened to be swimming against the current and future GOATs of female swimming in her events
She’s set 7 PB’s in 8 races in the 6 week period between Australian trials and worlds, including a 10s drop in the 800m free to only lose to Ledecky by 0.3s (15yo Ledecky won by over 4s in the London Olympics, and over 11s in Rio). She was also very unlucky to swim a 3:58 400free and miss the podium.… Read more »
Pallister will find a lot more at 1500 also. That was the correct way to swim that race, even if Quadarella ended up with a much faster time. Eventually you’re strong enough and relaxed enough and prepared enough to keep going.
I feel like Lani is taking an enormous amount of confidence and motivation away from Singapore. Excited to see more from her net year.
Pallister really should have absolutely been mentioned in the above article. “Ledecky won gold and Macintosh had to settle for bronze”.
No mention of how the 800 free for women became one of the best races between three swimmers in forever. Separated by 0.3 seconds for most of the race. Crazy.
Mine is – disappointing they continued to let people with illness swim which obviously spread to other athletes and ruined their meet. If it was other countries being sick and then the US team started catching it they and their fans would have kicked up an unholy storm of abuse towards anyone and everyone
I hope that isn’t the case. I’ve never heard of food posting being transferred person-to-person.
It had to be gastro. People kept catching it as the week went on. I think they didn’t call it gastro because then people wouldn’t be “allowed” to swim (see the sign at nearly every pool)
It was a contagious virus for sure. There should have been greater transparency and adherence to proper isolation protocols. I get that a lot was on the line, but still.
nah I disagree. gotta level the playing field. the medal table won’t care who gets sick, why should we.
Men’s relay woes were largely due to the illness and/or backstroke weakness. The US men could very well break both the 400 and 800 free relay world records before LA. There’s plenty of young male talent on the rise that I’m hopeful will turn into more individual golds for the men—100 back, 100 breast, 100 free, 200 free are legitimate possibilities (not locks by any means, but could happen in 3 years).