FUKUOKA, Japan (Reuters) – Australia’s Sam Short powered to victory in the men’s 400 metres freestyle race on the opening day of the swimming events at the World Aquatics Championships on Sunday to dethrone compatriot Elijah Winnington.
Short, 19, crossed the line in three minutes, 40.68 seconds to edge out Olympic champion Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia by 0.02 seconds while Germany’s Lukas Martens was 1.52 seconds behind the winner to take the bronze medal.
Winnington, who bagged the title in Budapest last year, was seventh out of eight competitors.
A battle royale for the women’s 400m freestyle title will follow with defending world champion Katie Ledecky of the United States and reigning Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus of Australia racing each other for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics.
The pair will be challenged by 16-year-old Canadian prodigy Summer McIntosh, who broke the world record held by Titmus with a scorching time of three minutes, 56.08 seconds in March.
France’s Leon Marchand and American Carson Foster will be the ones to watch in the 400m individual medley after strong displays in their heats as they set their sights on erasing Michael Phelps’ world record of 4:03.84 set in 2008.
The women’s and men’s 4x100m freestyle relays will bring an end to the day’s proceedings at the Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall.
The British men’s team, pre-meet favourites for the crown, will not compete after they were disqualified due to an early takeoff by Jacob Whittle in their heat in the morning.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
