Australian swimming sensation Mollie O’Callaghan narrowly missed out on gold at the World Championships on Friday evening, securing a silver medal in the women’s 100-metre freestyle after being pipped by 0.12 seconds. This result means that the 21-year-old, who hails from Logan, must wait until Saturday for another opportunity to clinch a historic 12th gold medal in long-course world championships.
O’Callaghan will have the chance to achieve this milestone in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay final, an event Australia is expected to reach, where she will compete in Singapore. With this latest silver, O’Callaghan is now tied with Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe, both holding 12 gold medals in long-course world championships.
In an upset, Marrit Steenbergen from the Netherlands claimed gold in the 100m freestyle final with a time of 52.55 seconds, ahead of O’Callaghan, who finished in 52.67 seconds, and American swimmer Torri Huske, who clocked 52.89 seconds. While O’Callaghan had previously secured the title in both 2022 and 2023, she remained lenient in her self-assessment of the race, attributing her performance to fatigue from a demanding schedule.
“I’m tired,” she admitted in an interview with Australian swimming great Cate Campbell. “Last night was a big night for me, and the other competitors didn’t have my workload.” Despite her disappointment, O’Callaghan expressed gratitude for winning a medal amidst a challenging year, stating, “To get on the podium after such a tough year makes me really happy. It demonstrates my strength and highlights my potential for future performances, especially considering the limited training I’ve been able to undertake.”
In addition to her recent championship challenges, O’Callaghan finished in fourth place in the women’s 100m freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympics. As she prepares for the upcoming events, optimism surrounds her ability to secure another championship gold and continue building on her impressive swimming career.