Day 2 of the Swimming World Championships in Singapore brings more action and big expectations — especially for Canada’s Summer McIntosh.
After capturing gold in the 400-metre freestyle on the opening day, the 18-year-old is now aiming for her second title, this time in the 200-metre individual medley. McIntosh is targeting a total of five individual gold medals over the eight-day competition.
She enters Monday’s race as the top contender, having set a world record of 2:05.70 at the Canadian trials earlier this year. Her main competition is expected to come from American swimmer Alex Walsh.
Also making headlines is 12-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi, whose youth and impressive performances have caught the attention of the global swimming community.
Another anticipated event is the women’s 100-metre butterfly. American Gretchen Walsh — Alex Walsh’s older sister — is the favourite, having broken the world record earlier this year with a time of 54.60 seconds. Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk and Australia’s Alexandria Perkins are also strong competitors in the field.
Two other finals are set for today:
- Men’s 100-metre breaststroke: China’s Qin Haiyang and Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi are the leading contenders. Martinenghi is the Olympic gold medallist from Paris, while Qin was the 2023 world champion in this event.
- Men’s 50-metre butterfly final: This event is expected to be tightly contested, with France’s Maxime Grousset and Switzerland’s Noe Ponti qualifying with the fastest times.
In addition to the finals, three semifinals are scheduled for Monday:
- Men’s 100-metre backstroke
- Men’s 200-metre freestyle
- Women’s 100-metre backstroke
The championship continues to deliver thrilling races and rising stars as the world watches from Singapore.
