Singapore 2025 - Day 8 Heats: Marchand Scrapes In As An Outside Smoker
Last day in Singapore: The Olympic champion and World record holder is through - in seventh half a second the right side of the line in 400IM heats
The last day dawns at World Championships, to the rumble of thunder, flash of lightning and the sigh-laden sound of tropical downpours in Singapore.
Inside the pool, no storm this morning but Léon Marchand made it a close shave - about half a second more and he'd have been out of the 400 medley final. As things stand, the Olympic champion and World record holder is through - in seventh, and heading for a final in lane 1 as an outside smoker.
Summer McIntosh booked her ticket to lane 4 in the women's final, with 12-year-old Yu Zidi third fastest through. Yu is already the only pre-13 ever to compete (as oppose to a pose for snaps that adults arranged for a 10-year-old in a an exercise of uncomfortable child exploitation back in 2015) at world titles - and ever to pick up a medal: she swam heats of the 4x200m free for China and her teammates went on to get the bronze.
The medley relays for men and women will bring the meet to a close - and probably be decisive to the medals table, which features the USA on top, by a gold, for the first time in the eight days of competition:
Craig Lord
There are eight finals this evening ... the rounds of three dash events and the men's 1500 heats having unfolded yesterday:
Craig Lord
Craig Lord
Day 8 qualifiers
