Teen prodigy Mollie O’Callaghan has sent a powerful message to her competitors at the Australian Swimming World Championship Trials. She emerged victorious in the 200m freestyle final, recording the fastest time in the world this season.
O’Callaghan’s impressive time of 1:53.83 surpassed even the reigning Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus’s time of 1:54.14. It also surpassed the efforts of Canadian star Summer McIntosh and American great Katie Ledecky so far this year.
Despite being half a body length behind Titmus at the final turn, O’Callaghan used her exceptional underwater skills to surge ahead and claim victory.
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Lani Pallister (1:56.03) took the third spot on the podium. Remarkably, seven swimmers from the A and B finals met or exceeded Swimming Australia’s strict qualifying time of 1:56.87.
O’Callaghan, achieving a sub-one minute and 54 seconds finish for the first time in her career, expressed her delight.
“I am absolutely amazed by that race,” she shared in her interview with Nine’s coverage team.
“I came into this competition feeling nervous and I was hoping for a personal best or a top-two finish.
“I am just overflowing with happiness and joy.”
When asked about her strong determination in the final lap to catch up with Titmus, O’Callaghan revealed her tenacious mindset.
“Regardless of how exhausted I may be, I will always give it my all,” she stated.
“This is what I train for. It’s the lesson that my coach Dean Boxall has ingrained in me. No matter the challenge or the pain, I will always push through the last 50 meters.”
With the fastest qualifying time for next month’s World Championships in Japan, the 19-year-old remains eagerly excited yet nervous about the upcoming event.
“Oh yeah, it’s really exciting but also nerve-wracking. Let’s see what I can achieve.”
Titmus currently holds the Australian record in the 200m, with a personal best time of 1:53.09 set in 2021.
Tune in to the Australian swimming world championship trials exclusively on 9Now.
This time achieved by O’Callaghan during the Australian trials is also her fastest of the season.
Both O’Callaghan and Titmus will face tough competition from McIntosh and Ledecky at the World Championships, set to commence on July 14.
Later in the evening, Sam Short achieved the fastest international time of the year in the 800m freestyle, finishing in an impressive time of 7:40.39. This puts him less than two seconds away from Grant Hackett’s Australian record.
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
