[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”9″ display=”imagebrowser”]The 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore kicked off with a dominant performance by Canada and Australia. The star of the opening days was Summer McIntosh, who claimed two crucial gold medals between Sunday and Monday. On Sunday, in the 400-meter freestyle final, the 18-year-old from Toronto imposed her class from the first lap, leaving China’s Li Bingjie and America’s Katie Ledecky behind, finishing in 3:56.26 and confirming she is now the opponent to beat in the distance. On Monday, she repeated her feat in the 200-meter individual medley: a strong start, control of the middle sections, and a resolute final 50 meters to fend off Alex Walsh’s comeback and complete the masterpiece ahead of compatriot Mary-Sophie Harvey.
McIntosh, who has already racked up titles and records despite her young age, explained that her strength lies in her ability to quickly switch between styles and her mental control during competitions, even when the schedule is tight.
On Saturday, however, the spotlight fell entirely to Australian Rhiannan Iffland in high diving. The Newcastle champion, already a dominating Red Bull Cliff Diving champion, claimed her fifth world title after starting behind in the first round but dominating the subsequent rounds with authority, winning by a wide margin over Canadian Simone Leathead and American Maya Kelly.
After these first three days, the world championships in both the pool and diving have already confirmed two queens: McIntosh, who seems unstoppable and ready for an edition to remember, and Iffland, capable of maintaining her position at the top of the world for nearly a decade.