Mollie O’Callaghan Equals Thorpe’s Record with Golden Relay in Singapore
It’s been a historic and emotional few days at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore — and right at the heart of it all is Australia’s swimming sensation, Mollie O’Callaghan. At just 21 years old, O’Callaghan has now etched her name into the record books by equalling the legendary Ian Thorpe’s record of 11 world championship gold medals.
This milestone was reached on Thursday night when she anchored Australia’s women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team to a thrilling victory. Teaming up with Lani Pallister, Jamie Perkins, and Brittany Castelluzzo, O’Callaghan helped secure the Dolphins’ third relay gold of the meet — and her third gold in Singapore alone. It’s been a dream run for her, especially considering the challenges she’s overcome since the last Olympics, including injury and a much-needed mental reset.
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O’Callaghan had already claimed gold in the 200m freestyle earlier in the week, delivering an emotional performance that marked her 10th world title. That win tied her with Grant Hackett, and just a day later, she matched Thorpe’s record with her 11th. What makes her achievements even more remarkable is that she’s not done yet — she goes into the 100m freestyle final on Friday night as the fastest qualifier and a strong favorite to grab her 12th title.
Meanwhile, Kyle Chalmers continued to show his class in the men’s 100m freestyle final, finishing with a bronze medal. His time of 47.17 seconds didn’t quite break the elusive 47-second barrier he’s been chasing, but it was enough to keep him on the podium. And though he’s a seasoned veteran now at 27, Chalmers is embracing a new chapter of life — he and his partner, Ingeborg Loyning, are expecting their first child next month. For him, the gold may be nice, but fatherhood is clearly his next big goal.
On the same night, Australia’s Lizzie Dekkers added a bronze in the women’s 200m butterfly, and Harrison Turner surprised everyone with a bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly earlier in the meet, breaking an Australian record in the process. Unfortunately, not every moment was golden — Sam Short, tipped for gold in the men’s 800m freestyle, had to withdraw due to gastro illness suspected to be food poisoning.
Still, with five golds, one silver, and five bronze medals so far, Australia remains on top of the medal tally, edging out the United States. And with Mollie O’Callaghan still in the pool, there’s every chance that tally — and her personal record — will keep rising.
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