World Swimming Championships: All the latest results, times and news from Budapest

The Dolphins signed off from the World Championships almost half a million bucks richer than when they arrived. This is how they did it.

Australia’s new swimming sensation Mollie O’Callaghan struck it rich when she collected a record equalling sixth medal - and another wad of fresh banknotes - as the Dolphins signed off from the world championships almost half a million bucks richer than when they arrived.

The rising star of Australia’s favourite Olympic sport, O’Callaghan joined forces with Kaylee McKeown, Jenna Strauch and Brianna Throssell to win silver for Australia in the women’s medley relay, the last event of the championships.

Meg Harris also got a silver for swimming the relay heats then another after dead-heating for third in the individual 50 freestyle final.

Australia finished second on the medals table behind the United States with 17 in total - six gold, nine silver and two bronze.

Along with the medals, Australia’s swimmers also pocketed a total of $484,000 after the sport’s world governing body came through on its promise to share more of its enormous profits with competitors.

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Mollie O'Callaghan swims her leg in the 's 4x100m medley relay finals. Picture: AFP

Along with a shiny gold medal, each race win came with a prize of $28,000. Silver medallists received $22,000 and bronze medallists $15,000 while anyone who made a final got something - including $3,000 for coming eighth.

Just 18 and at her first world titles, O’Callaghan was the biggest winner, finishing with six medals - three gold and three silver - matching the absent Emma McKeon’s tally from South Korea three years ago.

There were also bonuses of $72,000 for any individuals who set world records. Australia did break a world record - in the mixed 4x100m freestyle - but the perk did not apply for records set in relays so they just got the $28,000 for winning, split between the swimmers in that race.

The two world records set at last month’s Australian trials - by Zac Stubblety-Cook (men’s 200m breaststroke) and Ariarne Titmus (women’s 400m freestyle) - weren’t eligible for the bonus either.

Stubblety-Cook had a crack at lowering his own world record in Budapest but just missed it - though he still won the gold and the $28,000 that came with that - and said he wasn’t disappointed in the least.

“At the end of the day, a world record is a world record and I’m just enjoying swimming and doing what I love,” he said. “If I was here for money, I don’t think I’d be here for the right reasons.”

The Aussie team with their silver medals. Picture: Getty Images

Titmus skipped the world championships altogether, missing out on around $150,000.

Had she broken the 400m world record in Budapest instead of Adelaide, she would have pocketed $100,000 for less than four minutes’ work.

But Titmus said she had no regrets about missing out on any money, saying her long term goal was the 2024 Paris Olympics so her focus this year was entirely on doing her best for Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

“I don’t race to earn money, I race to get the best out of myself and perform for me and (coach) Dean (Boxall) and the country,” she said.

“After going to the Olympic Games, I understand now that the Olympics are different and I really want to do what’s best for myself this year to make sure that I’m ready to go in Paris and I’m also swimming longer term and for me I didn’t want to have another huge year.

“I 100% wanted to go to the Commonwealth Games and so for me the sacrifice was not doing the world championships.

Ariarne Titmus was happy with her decision to skip the World Championships. Pictures: Michael Klein

“There obviously are financial incentives there, but that’s not something that really draws me to go and race there, it did not cross my mind.”

As Australia’s most prolific medallist, McKeon also sacrificed a king’s ransom by passing Budapest while plenty of others unselfishly cut back on their programs rather than chase quick bucks.

It’s estimated that if everyone had shown up and chased every cent on offer, the team’s total earnings would have been close to $1 million, so it’s a testament to the value they place on representing Australia at next month’s Commonwealth Games.

THORPE ON HAND AS WHIZKID DOMINATES

Two decades after he won six medals at the world championships, Ian Thorpe was back at the podium to present teenage whizkid Mollie O’Callaghan with her record equalling sixth medal in Budapest overnight.

Competing at the world tiles for the first time, O’Callaghan made it six medals from six events when she teamed up with Kaylee McKeown, Jenna Strauch and Brianna Throssell to win silver in the women’s medley relay,

Just 20, O’Callaghan ended the championships with three golds - including the prestigious individual 100m freestyle title - and three silvers but said all the credit beyond to her teammates.

“It’s about the girls, it’s not so much about me,” she said.

“It’s a team thing at the end of the day. I’m just proud of the whole team, not just myself, but everyone else jumping off.”

Backstroker McKeown finished with five medals - four silvers and a gold - and said it was a testament to the depth of talent in the team that so many swimmers have bounced back after the highs of last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Mollie O'Callaghan had a dominant World Championships. Picture: AFP Images

“It’s an awesome team to be a part of, it always is, no matter what our medal tally is,” she said.

“To be able to get up off the back of the Olympics last year with the amount of medals and just how it went. “

A late bloomer, Strauch has been one of the breakout swimmers in Budapest, winning a silver in the individual 200m final then absolutely blitzing her leg in the relay.

“It’s been a long time, but I feel like I’ve definitely earned my spot on the team now,” she said.

“So it was a matter of just going out there and doing the best that I could for the rest of these girls and putting them in a position where they could do their job.

Throssell won an Olympic gold medal last year after swimming a heat of the relay and said she was thrilled to be at the presentation this time - and to get her medal from Thorpe.

“It was such an honour,” she said.

“He’s an absolute Australian icon so for him to be here presenting the medal is such an exciting thing and I know I loved it.”

LUCKY BREAK

SIX months after she broke her arm, Meg Harris broke through for her first individual medal on the senior international stage.

The 20-year-old won a bronze medal in the women’s 50m freestyle after dead-heating with Erika Brown for third.

Harris swam a personal best time of 24.39 seconds in the semi-finals and went 0.01 quicker in the final - which was just enough to get her on the podium.

“I did a PB I’ve been wanting to do for a long time so anything past that was a bonus,” she said.

“It was a bonus making the finals for me and it’s a pretty big bonus coming out third.”

Harris went to Budapest ranked as Australia’s second fastest 50m sprinter behind Shayna Jack but carried the flag along after her team mate broke her hand in a freak training accident.

Harris fractured her arm in January when she was riding a scooter to the beach and hit a rock and was thrown over the handlebars.

“As soon as I broke it, I remember saying to one of my friends ‘all I want to do is go to Paris’” she said.

“I was fortunate to have an amazing physio, an amazing support team around me, good surgeon. I was back in the water pretty quick.

“Everyone has doubts when you go through those things, but I had an amazing support system around me.”

Another of Australia’s emerging star sprinters, Harris, 20, finished the championships with four medals, including two golds in freestyle relays and a silver in the medley relay where she swam the heats.

Meg Harris returned from a broken arm to medal at the World Championships. Picture: AFP Images

BIGGER FISH TO FRY

Australian head coach Rohan Taylor wasn’t getting carried away with the team’s success in Budapest, saying it was just another stepping stone on the road to the next Olympics.

What pleased him most - more than 17 medals - was the way the team’s younger members performed at their first hit out on the big stage.

“Some of them were able to really hold themselves together. But even more so, there was a lot of learning going on,” he said.

“I was really happy the relay stood up. That’s really important to me and important to the country.

“We’ve already moved on from Tokyo and there’s still plenty of work to do.

“It’s nice to reflect on the fact that we did perform so well but I want us to better and keep repeating it. We are absolutely firmly focussed on Paris now.”

The next stop, of course, is the Commonwealth Games, where the Aussies are expected to dominate the medals table.

The swim team will face some stiff challenges though, especially from the likes of Canada’s Summer McIntosh and Kylie Masse as well England’s Adam Peaty and the flying Scotman Duncan Scott.

“Come games is a chance to represent your country in an international meet, in a village environment and an opportunity because there is a lot of interest in it,” Taylor said.

“The standard is not going to be as high as the world championships but the environment and the excitement in that building is going to be electric.”