World Aquatics Championships 2023: From Leon Marchand to Katie Ledecky - Top 5 moments of Fukuoka
After 17 days of action and 10 swimming world records being broken, here are the five biggest takeaways from the first championships held in Japan in 22 years.
And that’s a wrap from Fukuoka.
The World Aquatics Championships 2023 drew to a close on Sunday (31 July) after 17 days, featuring 2,361 athletes from 191 countries with 10 swimming world records broken during the meet.
Familiar faces and new stars graced the first Worlds held in Japan after 22 years. Here are some of the top storylines from the 20th edition of the championships:
From Phelps to Marchand: Passing of the torch
Fukuoka 2023 got off to a flying start thanks to none other than Leon Marchand, who obliterated the men's 400m individual medley world record held by Michael Phelps on opening night.
The 21-year-old Frenchman touched in 4:02.50, hacking away 1.34 seconds off Phelps' mark that stood for 5,110 days - the longest-held world record in the history of the sport.
By also winning the 200 IM and 200 butterfly, Marchand was rightfully named best male swimmer of the meet. The frightening thing is, both Marchand himself and Phelps believe there's further room for improvement looking ahead to Paris 2024. Go figure.
Leon Marchand is the chosen one by American legend Michael Phelps.
Long live Queen Ledecky
Katie Ledecky still rocks.
Ten years after making her debut at the Worlds, Ledecky remains as dominant as ever in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle.
She blew away the field in both events, collecting individual gold medals Nos. 15 and 16 at the championships (and two silvers for good measure) - supplanting Phelps at the top of the all-time list.
At 26, Ledecky said she has no plans to take it easy any time soon. Good for us sports fans, bad for her competition.
Katie Ledecky now has 16 individual gold medals at the world championships, the most ever.
Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O'Callaghan led Aussie party
While USA were named the best team of Fukuoka after racking up a total of 38 medals, Australia were the best winners, amassing 13 golds - nearly double that of the United States.
Led by the likes of Kaylee McKeown, who won the best female swimmer award, and Mollie O’Callaghan who took home five gold medals, a deep Australia squad threw down the gauntlet against USA ahead of Paris 2024.
Next summer, a mouth-watering team clash awaits at the Games - if not even before that at the next Worlds in Doha in February.
Australia topped the medal table in Fukuoka with 13 golds.
Chinese firecrackers: Qin Hayang and Zhang Yufei
The People’s Republic of China were a force to be reckoned with at these championships, trailing only household nations USA and Australia on the medal table.
Qin Haiyang was untouchable, completing the first-ever 50, 100 and 200 sweep in any stroke male or female, while butterflyer Zhang Yufei stung like a bee with two golds and a silver of her own.
China were by far the strongest Asian team here - way more than hosts Japan who ended up with just two bronze - and with the country hosting the Asian Games this autumn, expect them to be fired up even more and springboard towards Paris to give USA and Australia a run for their money.
Breaststroke hat-trick hero Qin Haiyang of the People's Republic of China.
Last but not least: Cassiel Rousseau
The swimmers weren’t the only ones to step up for Australia.
The Chinese appeared to be well on their way to capturing all 13 diving gold medals on offer for the second straight worlds - but Cassiel Rousseau had other ideas.
In the last round of the last event, Rousseau came through to crash China’s party, ending their six-year international winning streak in the men’s 10m platform.
Cassiel Rousseau was a bundle of joy after denying the Chinese a sweep of the diving gold medals.
