Swimming World Championships: Teen star Mollie O’Callaghan smashes oldest world record

Aussie teen sensation Mollie O’Callaghan upstaged superstar team mate Ariarne Titmus and Canadian star Summer McIntosh to do the unthinkable.

Mollie O‘Callaghan celebrates winning gold with a new WR time in the Women’s 200m Freestyle Final at the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships. Picture: Adam Pretty/Getty Images

No-one can stop Australia’s incredible female swim team that is just carving it up at the world championships in Japan.

Australia’s newest world champion - and world record holder - is teenage sensation Mollie O’Callaghan.

In a team full of stars, she might be the brightest of all after she broke the oldest world record in the sport in a mind-blowing performance at Fukuoka on Wednesday.

Upstaging her superstar team mate Ariarne Titmus and Canadian teenage phenom Summer McIntosh, O’Callaghan unleashed a blistering last lap to win the 200 metres freestyle gold medal and break the world record.

Mollie O'Callaghan celebrates winning gold with a new WR time of: 1:52.85 in the Women's 200m Freestyle Final at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Picture: Getty Images.

“Heading into this, I’ve said this many times, I just really wanted to have fun and enjoy it and try my best,” O’Callaghan said.“I want to try Some new race plans, follow (coach Dean Boxall) Dean’s race plans and to come out with a world record was really unexpected for me.

“He trains me for this, I can’t share any of his secrets. But just following him and communicating really led to this moment.

“I was a wreck afterwards. I kind of looked and I was like ’is that me or not?

“I couldn’t really explain it at the moment. There were tears, there was happiness, it was very mixed emotions. And I’m just so proud of myself to do that. And it was just such an unexpected moment for us.”

Her time of 1:52.85 erased the previous mark of 1:52.98 that was set by Italy’s Federica Pelligrini’s at the 2009 world championships in Rome when the sport's officials let competitors wear rubbery suits that aided buoyancy.

Ariarne Titmus was just pipped at the death by O'Callaghan, but still walks away with silver. Picture: Getty Images.

They are banned now and thankfully most of the records that were set in them are being consigned to history, thanks to the new generation of fearless Aussies.

Titmus, who trains with O’Callaghan and broke the 400m world record on Sunday, held on to finish second in 1:53.01 after leading the field through he first 150m under world record pace.

McIntosh broke her own junior world record to collect the bronze medal.

“To be honest, I wanted to win that,” Titmus said.

“ I thought that I had a great swim in me and that was a great swim to PB but Mollie swum exceptionally well so she deserves that gold.

“Of course, if you’re not to win it’s great having someone else in Australia on top of the podium. It’s one-two for our country. We’re having a great meet here and I;m just blessed I get to contribute to the success of the team.”

SHORT KNOCKS HACKETT OFF PODIUM WITH AUSSIE RECORD

Boom teenage swim star Sam Short broke one of Grant Hackett’s legendary records to win his second medal at the world championships in Japan .

Three nights after he won the 400m freestyle final in Fukuoka, Short collected a silver in the 800m freestyle with another courageous performance, shattering a massive milestone in the process that underlines his status as the next big thing in Australian swimming.

The 19-year-old led at the final turn but was overhauled on the last lap by Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui, who finished second to the Aussie in the 400m by a fingernail.

Silver medallist Sam Short has recorded the fastest time of any Australian in the men’s 400m freestyle. Picture: Getty Images.

While Short was a long way short of the unfathomable world record of 7:32.13, which was set in a now-banned supersuit, he still broke the long-standing Australian record of 7:38.65 which Grant Hackett set at the 2005 world championships in Montreal.

Short’s time was 7:37.76. Hafnaoui won gold in 7:37.00. America Olympic champion Bobby Finke won the bronze.

Short has made no secret of the fact that Hackett is one of his sporting idols and breaking his record was one of his lifelong goals.

Short (middle) has beaten the previous Australian best, overtaking Grant Hackett’s record from 2005. Picture: Getty Images.

“Obviously, I’m moving in the right direction. That was set nearly 20 years ago so it shows Australia coming back. It’s always been there and I’m just glad to progress it,” Short said.

“Grant is one of my heroes. I looked up to him my whole life. I could’ve come third or fourth with the time, I still would have been happy. So I love the race and I love the result.”

Short still has the 1500m freestyle to come on Sunday but his main goal is Paris next year.

“I’m mainly just believing in myself and knowing I can match it with the best. I’m the youngest in the field right there. I can still push the pace and make them work for it.” he said.

“(I’ve learnt) that the hard work pays off. I work my absolute bum off and I get the results in the pool.

MEDALS KEEP FLOWING FOR AUSTRALIA IN MEDLEY

Australia has won another silver medal at the world swimming championships on Thursday after finishing second behind China in a thrilling mixed medley relay.

The Australian quartet of Kaylee McKeown, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Matt Temple and Shayna Jack combined to take the runner’s up spot and secure an automatic place for the relay team at next year’s Paris Olympics.

Zac Stubblety-Cook and team Team Australia have earned a spot at the Paris Olympics, taking out the silver medal in the Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships. Picture: Getty Images.

Fifth at the halfway stage after opting to lead off with a female backstroker then a male breaststroker the Aussies were in second place when Temple handed over to Jack after the butterfly leg.

Jack’s anchor leg was a slick 51.53 - the fastest of any of the female freestylers in the race.

Jack came very close to catching the Chinese but ran out of water and fell short by an arm’s length.

After the first four days of swimming finals, Australia sits perched at the top of the medals table with sx golds and three silvers. China is second with four golds and four bronzes.