World Championships, Day Four Finals: Dolphins Teen Machine Mollie O’Callaghan Sinks Long Standing 200 Freestyle World Record in a Classic Aussie 1-2

Mollie O'callaghan of Australia reacts after winning the gold medal in the 200m Freestyle Women Final with a New World Record during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 26th, 2023.

GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLIE: The moment Mollie O'Callaghan broke the world record in the 200m freestyle in Fukuoka's Marine Messe Aquatic Centre. Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment.

World Championships, Day Four Finals: Dolphins Teen Machine Mollie O’Callaghan Sinks Long Standing 200 Freestyle World Record in a Classic Aussie 1-2

A month ago, Mollie O’Callaghan’s World Championships were thrown into disarray with a dislocated knee. Tonight, she smashed one of the oldest world records in the books to win a classic Aussie duel in the 200m freestyle – clocking 1:52.85 (26.93; 55.94; 1:24.74) – destroying the 2009 mark set by Italy’s Federica Pellegrini, 14 years ago.

The Aussies golden glow continued in the Marine Messe Fukuoka with 19-year-old O’Callaghan staging a classic stroke-for-stroke battle with Dolphins team mate – dual Olympic champion and 400m freestyle winner here, Queensland club mate Ariarne Titmus, who was only 0.16 behind in her own personal best time of 1:53.01.

MOLLIE’S MAGIC: Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan’s WR look. Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Summer McIntosh (1:53.65) in taking the bronze won Canada’s first ever World Championship medal in the 200m freestyle in a new Junior World Record – 0.90 under her own mark set at the Canadian Trials in April.

It was Titmus who took it out over the first 50m in 26.72 – Mollie going through in 26.93 and at the 100m it was Titmus chasing the WR red line in 55.23 and Mollie dropping to fourth in 55.94.

At the 150m mark Titmus was still in front by three-quarters of a second over her club mate who bounced off the wall – her dislocated knee working overtime as she set out after the leader of the lane at home and here now.

No one thought anyone could swim down Ariarne Titmus – except Mollie O, who challenged her team-mate with everything she had, powering to the wall to create a slice of history with the narrowest of victories.

And then came the revelation from O’Callaghan of a modified training program, a stressful lead in and the fact she is still not 100 percent.

“I dislocated the knee cap stretching after Trials and I’ve had a modified program since then leading into this (meet) and it was a very hectic lead up…and I was very stressed and I’m still recovering with rehab,” said O’Callaghan.

And it beggars belief what this girl they call Mollie O can do when she is fully fit – hopefully in 12 months time when she headlines the Dolphins on their Paris campaign.

“It will mean everything to go to Paris, one of my biggest goals is to go to an Olympics and swim an individual (event)….and I’m really..really excited,” said O’Callaghan.

There must be something in the water here in Japan because it has certainly been the happiest of hunting grounds for Australia’s Dolphins….celebrating One Year To Go to the 2024 Paris Olympics today with the Australian Olympic Team’s launch of #AllezAUS (Let’s Go AUS or C’Mon AUS!)

The last Australian to win the world 200m title was fellow Queenslander Giaan Rooney and it was here in Fukuoka in 2001 – Rooney also having the privilege of calling tonight’s race for Australian television, alongside Aussie Olympic and World Championship freestyle legend Ian Thorpe.

MOLLIE’S TEARS: Emotional overflow for Mollie O’Callaghan. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia

And O’Callaghan becomes the third Australian alongside Rooney and the first winner, Hayley Lewis, from, lane eight in Perth in 1991 to win the event.

Since then there have been silvers to Kylie Palmer (2011), Emma McKeon, who dead-heated with Katie Ledecky (2017) and Titmus and O’Callaghan in 2019 and 2022.

And the last Australian to hold the world record in the 200m freestyle was 70s golden girl Shane Glould, who won the event at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Tonight it was Mollie O who turned her silver into gold. Now the 100m defence begins.

O’Callaghan was overcome when she first spoke to Australian Host Broadcaster, Paris Olympic Network, Channel 9 after the race saying: “I’m absolutely excited, I was not expecting that at all…I just wanted to have fun ..I was really nervous leading up to this…

“I didn’t know how I was going to race..the lead up to this has been an up and down rollercoaster, just with my injury and coming off the Trials…and with all that it’s just incredible, I’m just excited for what else I can do,” said O’Callaghan.

She was full of praise for coach Dean Boxall at St Peters Western, saying: “Dean is a major part of what I have done and how I executed the race and I stuck to the plan….and my Mum and Dad are somewhere in here and my sister and brother are watching online and I do miss them a lot.”

At the conclusion of her pool deck interview, Mollie O said to interviewer Tom Decent: “Thank you so much….have a good night!”

And Channel 9’s race caller Matt Thompson, listening live down the line was quick to wish Mollie O all the best, for herself, saying: “You have a good night too Mollie…no thank you Mollie….what a girl….what a swim..what a world record!”

Later O’Callaghan spoke of how proud she was to stand arm-in-arm with Titmus on the medal podium over-looking the stadium, singing the National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair and then told of that stressful lead up to the meet after she dislocated her knee.

And you know what’s scary….things can only get better!!!

Mollie and Arnie emnbrace Photo Delly Carr Swimming Australia

QUINELLA KIDS: Winner Mollie O’Callaghan embraced by Ariarne Titmus after the St Peters Western pair struck gold and silver for the Dolphins on a night to remember for the two teams mates from Brisbane. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia

w200fr

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use