World Aquatics Championships, Singapore 2025: Yu Zidi, the Aussies to watch for and key race times
All eyes will be on China’s 12-year-old swimming sensation at the World Aquatics Championships as she takes centre stage alongside a host of the world’s biggest stars. See the key races and talking points here.
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The year after an Olympic Games is always the most difficult in the swimming cycle as athletes either take extended breaks or battle to find the motivation to conquer the mountain of work required to become world champions.
But Australia has a long history of starring in this phase of the Olympic cycle, including the Dolphins infamous 2001 world titles medal tally victory over the USA.
Now, as Australia prepares for the Singapore world titles starting on Sunday, we take a look at the key storylines to follow in the pool over the next eight days.
Tears to cheers
The tears and emotion from Mollie O’Callaghan at the trials makes you wonder if the Olympic champ is going to be at her best in Singapore.
She’s clearly had a tough time finding the killer motivation post Paris, while a knee injury over the summer made life just a little bit more difficult.
But then you remember how the last time we saw Mollie in tears was at last year’s Olympic trials when teammate Ariarne Titmus won their duel and snatched her world record.
And then just a few weeks later she produced the race of her life, turned the tables and Mollie won Olympic gold. Expect a big meet.
Women’s 200m Freestyle final – Wednesday July 30
Killer Kaylee
Life has certainly changed a lot for Queen Kaylee since the Paris Olympics, but the one thing that hasn’t diminished is her insatiable appetite for winning.
She lost her coach Michael Bohl, who first decided he wanted a year off but soon after announced he was joining China on a rich deal.
Making matters worse, McKeown never gelled with his replacement coach Mel Marshall and although she was telling people as far back as January she wanted to join Dean Boxall’s super squad in Brisbane, that move never happened and she eventually settled on a return to home to the Sunshine Coast under Michael Sage.
Will the disjointed year impact her performances? If it was any other athlete you might say yes, but Kaylee is a pure racer.
In 2023 she was named female swimmer of the meet when she became the first person in history to win the 50-100-200m treble in the same stroke at the same meet.
Can she do it again? Never write her off.
Women’s 100m Backstroke final – Tuesday July 29
Pre-teen sensation
Most Australian 12-year-olds are still in primary school and fighting with their parents about tidying their room.
But Chinese pre-teen Yu Zidi is about to line up at the world titles in the 200m butterfly, 200m medley and 400m medley. She may even jag a medal.
Yes, this is insane.
No, don’t even go there.
World Aquatics, in a strategic pre-event PR strike, stated Chinese swimmers had been drug tested on average eight times this year, more than double athletes from Australia or US.
And yes, even the baby of the team Yu has faced eight awkward cubicle visits from the cup collectors according to the data.
It’s remarkable that a kid can swim so fast, but from a country where discipline and training is so regimented it should come as no great surprise when a freakish talent comes out of nowhere.
Women’s 200m medley final – Monday July 28
The GOAT and the kid
The biggest storyline for the next Olympic cycle is the rise of teen Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh and the giant-killing path she wants to cut through the pool.
Already she’s taken Ariarne Titmus’s 400m freestyle world record — by over a second mind you!
And now she is hunting the Greatest Of All Time Katie Ledecky and her 800m mark.
Summer v Katie in both the 400m and 800m freestyle will be compelling viewing and the person most glued to the action will be Australia’s Titmus.
She isn’t racing, but will be banking every ounce of motivation as McIntosh takes swimming to a new standard with every stroke.
Not far in her wake will be our own Lani Pallister – a likely bronzed Aussie.
Women’s 800m Freestyle final – Saturday August 2
Rookie alert
One of the great challenges of a post Olympic world titles is spotting the talent who will develop over the coming three years to become an Olympic champion at the next Games.
Australia will blood eight Dolphins rookies in Singapore and while it is way too soon to suggest any of them are champions-in-waiting, there is renewed hope they can develop into fine relay talent at the least.
Among them is 15-year-old Sienna Toohey who has been breaking age records held by our previous breaststroke queen Leisel Jones.
Toohey might still be a few seconds off the world best over 100m, but if she can keep chipping away over the next three years then Australia’s medley relay team has some hope of catching the US in the future.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke final – Tuesday July 29
New dad strength
Cameron McEvoy is riding a golden wave of late. After his Paris heroics, not only did he return to Australia as an Olympic champion, but he’s since gone on to become a father for the first time, with he and wife Maddi welcoming young Hartley into the world this month.
But it hasn’t impacted his meticulous preparation as he looks to reclaim his 50m freestyle world champion crown.
He narrowly lost out by just 0.01s in last year’s World Championships to Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov, but with the fastest time in the world this year of 21.30, McEvoy is primed to return to the top of the medal dais.
Men’s 50m Freestyle Finals – Saturday, August 2
King Kyle’s new aura
World record holder, Pan Zhanle from China, will be the heavy favourite after his incredible exploits in Paris, even though he hasn’t had the start to the season that he would have wanted.
Romania’s David Popovici remains a constant threat with a world-leading time this season, while America’s Jack Alexy continues his dramatic rise.
But counting in 2023 world champ Kyle Chalmers’ favour is his new-found speed over the first 50 metres.
He’s worked on his shorter distances, and if he can pair a fast start with his typical over-the-top finish, he could claim his second individual world title.
Of the four favourites, Chalmers is the only one yet to crack the 47-second barrier. Could Singapore be the time he finally hits the mark?
Men’s 100m Freestyle Finals – Thursday, July 31
French revolution
Leon Marchand was the talk of the La Defense Arena in an incredible night where he became just the fourth swimmer to win two individual Olympic gold medals on the same night, but he’s set to give himself an easier ride in Singapore as he goes world record hunting.
The Frenchman was initially set to compete in the 200m Breaststroke, 200m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley and the 400m Individual Medley.
However, the 23-year-old is going to focus on the IMs only as he looks to stay as fresh as possible.
He was just six-thousandths of a second off Ryan Lochte’s 200m IM world record at the Paris Olympics, and claiming that crown will be Marchand’s main goal in Singapore.
Men’s 200m Individual Medley Finals – Thursday, July 31
Here come the Americans
At last year’s World Championships, America’s male freestyle stocks looked to have taken a hit. Luke Hobson was the only individual medallist when he won bronze in the men’s 200m freestyle, while they also claimed bronze in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays.
The likes of Bobby Finke and Caeleb Dressel weren’t there to claim their customary medals, and it felt like a big shift.
Well, expect the red, white and blue to come back in a big way with some fast times over the past 12 months.
Jack Alexy is the big improver, having gone sub-47s in the 100m free, while he will also keep Cam McEvoy honest in the 50m freestyle.
Hobson is also just 0.1s off the world’s best time in the 200m free.
Gabriel Jett continues to improve in the 200m, while their relay depth looks much improved. They’ll be eyeing off some relay gold and more individual glory in Singapore than they did last year in Doha.
Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Finals – Sunday, July 27
Aussies flying under the radar
Plenty of Aussie men will be looking to make a name for themselves in Singapore. Isaac Cooper is one of those in the 50m backstroke, and will be hoping to take another step up after setting a national record at last year’s world champs in Doha.
A back injury to Zac Stubblety-Cook has hurt the Aussie men’s medal hopes, but Sam Short and Elijah Winnington will fancy their chances again in the 400m freestyle.
Short claimed the world title in 2023, but Olympic champion Lukas Märtens will be the one to beat after setting a new world record this year and swimming over a second faster than any of his competitors.
Men’s 400m Freestyle Finals – Sunday, July 27
Originally published as World Aquatics Championships, Singapore 2025: Yu Zidi, the Aussies to watch for and key race times
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