O’Callaghan breaks 200m freestyle short course world record at swimming World Cup

Published
0
Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia celebrates after setting a new world record and winning the Women’s 200m Freestyle Final at the World at the FMC Natatorium on October 18, 2025 in Westmont, Illinois. — AFP
Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia celebrates after setting a new world record and winning the Women’s 200m Freestyle Final at the World at the FMC Natatorium on October 18, 2025 in Westmont, Illinois. — AFP

Australian Mollie O’Callaghan clocked a short course world record of 1min 49.77sec to win the 200m freestyle at the swimming World Cup stop in Westmont, Illinois, on Saturday.

O’Callaghan became the first woman to break 1min 50sec in the event, erasing the world record of 1:50.31 set by Hong Kong’s Sioban Haughey at the 2021 short course world championships in Abu Dhabi.

O’Callaghan’s sizzling performance comes a week after she lowered her personal best in the event with a victory in the Carmel, Indiana, World Cup stop with a win in 1:50.77.

She led an Aussie one-two with Lani Pallister second in 1:52.06.

American Regan Smith matched her 100m backstroke short course world record with a dominant victory in 54.02sec.

Australian Kaylee McKeown was second in 55.04.

Smith’s time equalled the world record she set at the short course world championships in Budapest last December on the leadoff leg of the 400m medley relay.

Opinion

Editorial

Deadly classrooms
Updated 16 Oct, 2026

Deadly classrooms

Parents should not have to become structural engineers to judge whether their children are safe at school.
Diplomatic options
Updated 16 Oct, 2026

Diplomatic options

Regional states know that the alternative to talks — a fully fledged war on both fronts — will bring immeasurable destruction to the Gulf, the Red Sea and the surrounding areas.
Hunger in Pakistan
16 Oct, 2026

Hunger in Pakistan

PAKISTAN’S position as the country most affected by hunger in South Asia is not surprising. An economy battered by...
Lagging behind
Updated 15 Oct, 2026

Lagging behind

The immediate task is to contain inflation and protect vulnerable households without reviving unsustainable subsidies or excessive demand.
India voter purge
Updated 15 Oct, 2026

India voter purge

Earlier, the BJP and its Hindutva cohorts could get away with trampling the rights of Indian Muslims, but now their shenanigans are not working.
Multan derailment
15 Oct, 2026

Multan derailment

IN numerous states, including many of Pakistan’s neighbours, rail transport is a safe and affordable mode of...