Marrit Steenbergen delivered the first Dutch gold of the championships by retaining the 100m freestyle crown in 52.55 ahead of Mollie O'Callaghan (AUS) and Torri Huske (USA).

Steenbergen, the 2024 champion, and O'Callaghan, the 2023 champion who in Fukuoka became the first woman ever to claim the 100-200m double at World Championships, were a snap at the turn, in joint third in 25.34sec. 

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Huske had her feet on the wall first, in 25.16. The drive off the wall was telling: Steenbergen was level with Huske at the break of stroke, while O'Callaghan was left with work to do to draw level with her Dutch rival once more. 

On the homecoming length, Steenbergen won it by about the gap she gained off the wall at the turn, O'Callaghan, on 55.67, took silver after having been unable to claw back what she'd lost in the underwater off the wall, and Huske denied the Dutch a 1-3 punch bye Jost 0.02sec, the American's 52.89 fending off Milou van Wijk's 52.91.