India’s swimming contingent had to endure a forgettable campaign at the Swimming World Championships in Singapore as the tricolour’s challenge came to a halt as Shoan Ganguly could only finish 28th place finish in the men’s 400m individual medley on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Ganguly produced an effort of 4:30.40s as he failed to make the eight-man final. Ganguly entered the meet on the back of a record-breaking swimming nationals, as he set a ‘Best Indian Time’ of 4:24.64s en route to the gold medal at the nationals in June.
The Indian unit came up with an underwhelming showing at the world meet as none of the nation’s participants made it past their heats or even improving their personal best timings.
ALSO READ| WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 1: Seth Rollins Shocks In Return; Tiffany Stratton Maintain Perfect Record
Four-time Olympic champion Leon Marchand performed just enough to secure his place in the final. The French star, who set a new world record earlier in the week en route to winning the 200m individual medley title, recorded a time of 4:13.19 to take the seventh spot.
Earlier this week in Singapore, Marchand broke the world record and claimed gold in the 200m individual medley. However, he was seventh fastest in the 400m medley heats, clocking in at 4min 13.19sec.
Marchand, who shattered Michael Phelps’s 400m individual medley world record at the world championships in Japan two years ago, admitted that his performance “worries” him ahead of Sunday night’s final.
“I would have preferred to set the best time this morning, but it didn’t go as planned. I was struggling a bit,” said the 23-year-old. “Strange, because I slept well and felt fine this morning, but that’s swimming — sometimes you dive in and you don’t feel good.”
ALSO READ| Lionel Messi Subbed Off Early Due to Injury During Inter Miami’s Win Over Necaxa
Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita set the fastest time in 4:10.39, nearly three seconds quicker than Marchand.
In Singapore, Marchand is swimming a lighter programme than usual, focusing only on individual medley and relay events. His Sunday morning heat was just his fifth swim of the championships.
“It worries me, but I have a lane tonight, so in the end it’s OK,” said the Frenchman.
Summer McIntosh recorded the fastest time in the women’s 400m individual medley heats, following her epic battle with American great Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle final.
McIntosh’s bid to join Phelps as the only swimmers to win five individual golds at a single world championships ended after she finished third behind Ledecky and Australia’s Lani Pallister.
“I got all of my thoughts and emotions out last night,” McIntosh said before coming through the 400m individual medley heats in 4:35.56. “I’m really just focusing on the 400 IM, putting down a good time, and touching the wall first.”
The 18-year-old Canadian has already won three golds in Singapore. “There’s more reflection I can do from what happened last night in the 800, but I think that’s reflection that will be happening at the start of next season.”
Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi also qualified for the final with the third-fastest time of 4:36.49, less than a second behind McIntosh.
Yu won her heat and will be appearing in her third individual final in Singapore. She finished fourth in both the 200m individual medley and 200m butterfly events and picked up a bronze medal as a member of China’s 4x200m women’s freestyle relay team. Yu became the youngest swimmer in history to win a world championships medal.
