Meg Harris emerged from the pool, disbelief etched on her face as she exclaimed, “What the f–k?” On the final night of the swimming world championships in Singapore, the 23-year-old celebrated a historic victory, having just secured gold in the women’s 50-metre freestyle—the first individual gold medal for Australia in her career.
This remarkable achievement brings her total gold count as a Dolphin to 11. The moment marked a significant milestone for Harris, who had previously won silver in the same event at the Paris Olympics just a year earlier. Back then, she stood in amazement, gazing at the scoreboard. Now, she left the championships with a gold medal in hand.
During the race, Harris faced fierce competition, as five of her seven rivals reacted more swiftly to the starting signal. However, she surged ahead in the first half of the race, maintaining her lead to finish with a time of 24.02 seconds. She outpaced China’s Qingfeng Yu (24.26 seconds) and Yujie Cheng (24.28 seconds) to take the win.
In a post-race interview with former teammate Cate Campbell, Harris expressed her elation, calling it “a dream.” Her achievement not only highlights her talent but also strengthens her position on the world stage. As she prepares to return home, the young swimmer can be proud of her extraordinary accomplishment.