On the first evening of the swimming world championships, Australian swimmer Sam Short narrowly missed out on gold in the men’s 400-metre freestyle, finishing just two-hundredths of a second behind German competitor Lukas Martens. Martens, who clinched the gold medal at last year’s Paris Olympics, completed the race in 3:42.35, while Short took silver with a time of 3:42.37. South Korea’s Woomin Kim secured the bronze medal, finishing in 3:42.60.
In an emotional post-race interview with Cate Campbell, Short shared that his recent struggles included a profound family tragedy. “This year’s been so hard. No one really knows everything,” he said, explaining that the loss of his aunt, who battled cancer for a decade, played a significant role in his performance. Determined to honour her memory, Short emphasised the importance of pushing through his own pain, reflecting, “However bad I was hurting there, it was nowhere near as bad as her battling cancer for 10 years. So I had to toughen up and get it done.”
Unfortunately for Australia, fellow swimmer Elijah Winnington, who won silver in the Paris Games, fell short of advancing from the heats earlier that day.
Also noteworthy was the performance of 18-year-old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh, who claimed her first gold of the championships in the women’s 400-metre freestyle, as she aims to make history by winning five solo golds in a single long-course world championship.
Overall, the opening night was filled with excitement and emotion, with talented swimmers showcasing extraordinary skill while grappling with personal challenges.