FUKUOKA. World record and world championship gold for the Frenchman Leon Marchand in the 400 medley of the Fukuoka World Championships. The transalpine swimmer reached 4’02″50, improving the previous limit of 4’03″84 which since 10 August 2008 belonged to the American Michael Phelps.
Ariarne Titimus also rewrites the history of swimming, winning the 400m freestyle with a sensational world record, becoming the first woman to dip under 3’56. The 22-year-old Australian champion from Launceston – Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo 2020 – flies in 3’55”38 (1’56”94) which cancels the 3’56”08 of the Canadian Summer McIntosh, great defeat of the day and only fourth in 3’59”94. The podium, however stellar, is completed by the American Katie Ledecky – thirty-three medals between World Championships and the Olympic Games – silver in 3’58”73 and the other Aussie Erika Fairweather in 3’59”59.
