Forget the 1:52.69. To ask Léon Marchand to match his newly minted and astonishing World record a day later in a World-title final would be like greeting Neil Armstrong back from his giant step for mankind with a "do you mind popping back, the snaps are a bit blurred".

And so, a new line emerged in the final: a podium sweep for coach Bob Bowman and the Texas Longhorns. The fastest test set among training partners in history, perhaps:

• Léon Marchand (FRA), 1:53.68, the second-fastest in history and a time that fills the 1:53 void with a landing absent yesterday when he flew from 1:54 flat down to 1:52.69. His third gold, after Budapest 2022 and Fukuoka 2023, joins his father Xavier's silver in the same event back in 1998 - and leaves France in third place on the all-time medals table in the 200IM, the USA on top, Hungary in second, the three countries all adding to their lofty all-time status today
• Shaine Casas (USA), 1:54.30 as the third fastest American an ouch shy of the pioneers of 200IM pace for two decades before Marchand, Ryan Lochte (1;54.00) and Bowman's winner of 23 Olympic golds, Michael Phelps (1:54.16, after having set eight world records in the event along the way).
• Hubert Kos (HUN), the Hungarian Olympic 200m backstroke champion, on 1:55.34, Phelps' old sparring partner Lazslo Cseh still hanging on to his 2009 shiny 1:55.18 national (then European) record.

All off which locked out Britain's silver medallist from the past two Olympics, Duncan Scott, on 1:56.32, a solid effort given the goals around him in a season of "transition" after a long post-Paris break and a time of reset, refuel and proceed steady on the road to what would be a fourth Olympics, medals won at all the previous three: two golds, six silvers. more medals that all those won by the three men ahead of him pout together - so far, at the crossroads of generational shift.

The full file is now part of the SOS Archive...