Marchand, McIntosh Shine at World Championships

At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, French swimmer Léon Marchand won gold in the 200m individual medley after breaking Ryan Lochte’s world record in the semifinals with a time of 1:52.69 and finishing the final in 1:53.68. Marchand, silver medalist Shaine Casas, and bronze medalist Hubert Kós all train together at the University of Texas under coach Bob Bowman. Canada’s 18-year-old Summer McIntosh earned her third gold of the meet in the 200m butterfly, clocking 2:01.99, just 0.18 seconds off the world record. McIntosh remains on track to potentially win five individual titles, a feat only Michael Phelps has accomplished at a single world championship. Romania’s David Popovici captured his second gold in the men’s 100m freestyle. China’s 12-year-old Yu Zidi continued to impress with another fourth-place finish, signaling the rise of new talent.