2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
- Day 6 Prelims Live Recap | Day 6 Finals Live Recap
Mollie O’Callaghan flipped at the halfway point of the women’s 100 freestyle in seventh place. The 19-year-old didn’t panic, though. Instead, she did what we’ve seen her do so many times in her young career — blast an insanely fast final 50 to take the win. O’Callaghan split 26.41 on the final 50 — improving her fastest back-half split of all time mark — and got her hand on the wall first, touching in 52.16 for the gold medal.
Top 5 Back-Half Splits, Women’s 100 Freestyle (LCM)
| Athlete | Back-Half Split | Final Time | Event |
| Mollie O’Callaghan | 26.41 | 52.16 | 2023 Worlds |
| Mollie O’Callaghan | 26.43 | 52.85 | 2022 Worlds |
| Mollie O’Callaghan | 26.45 | 52.08 | 2023 Worlds |
| Mollie O’Callaghan | 26.57 | 52.49 | 2022 AUS Nationals |
| Britta Steffen | 26.61 | 52.07 | 2009 Worlds |
It’s her second individual gold and her fourth of the meet. The swim puts her into the history books as the first woman to complete the 100/200 freestyle sweep at a World Championships. We’ve seen it before on the men’s side (David Popovici accomplished the feat just last year) but none of the great female sprint freestylers we’ve seen ever earned the accolade.
Despite the fact that O’Callaghan was the defending world champion in the 100 freestyle, this sweep was far from a given. She injured her knee during preparation for Worlds. The Australian team said in a statement they expected her to be okay for Worlds, but there were still questions about what kind of form she would be in.
She answered those on the first night of competition, opening Australia’s world record setting 4×100 freestyle relay with a 52.08, which made her the #6 performer in history.
Then, she snagged the first half of this double with an individual world record, breaking Federica Pellegrini‘s super-suited world record in 1:52.85. O’Callaghan employed her back-half strategy in that race as well, splitting 28.11 on the final 50 to pass her teammate Ariarne Titmus who was the favorite coming off her performance in the 400 freestyle
The person who’s seemed most shocked by her performance is O’Callaghan herself. After the 200 freestyle, she said, “If I am being honest I am just really shook at the moment. Coming into this I did have an injury. I was just expecting to have fun and I was going to be happy with whatever I did.”
She echoed that statement after her 100 freestyle win. And when asked whether the injury took a bit of pressure off her, O’Callaghan replied that “going into previous meets I was so nervous all the time. This is the first time that I’ve actually felt quite calm and just enjoyed every little bit.”
This swim wrapped up O’Callaghan’s individual event schedule. However, she’s expected to factor in at least one more relay. That includes the 4×100 medley relay, where the Australian women will be aiming to upset the U.S. for gold and complete the relay sweep.
Hey Swimswam crew… surely by now MOC can be rewarded with a linked page to her name.
MOC is always underated by Swimswam.
She was only #57 most promising female swimmer of 2022.
And #8 most promising female swimmer of 2023 (just ahead of Husker and behind Regan Smith and Maggie MacNeil)
I didn’t see her coming before Tokyo. A lot of people said she was always a star in juniors but I didn’t really follow them back then. Then with her WJR in Tokyo we all knew she had something special, but I was expecting it to take a few years to materialise.
Then last year she was just absolutely on fire and achieved more than I could have imagined… and now this year she’s making last year Mollie look like an amateur!
So proud of her! Humble champion at 19 with chance to really make history if she stays on track
I like her very much. And most amazing about her is that when looking at this 19 years old woman (I would even still say girl) you will never say that that is the brightest sprinting star in Australian swimming history. She isn’t that large as Campbell sisters or Sjostrom. She isn’t that heavily muscled looking as Ledecky. She isn’t that “King-Titmus” arrogant. She doesn’t receive that McIntosh” hype of being young prodigy. She is the ordinary looking humble girl who at the end of deck interview after sensational world record wishes you to have a good night. She is so modest and respectful that felt almost guilty for breaking one of the most prestigious world record in the race… Read more »
her attitude reminds me of a Kate Douglass. Super humble and a team player.
Damn that Titmus!
Yozhik still salty after Titmus kept beating Ledecky and broke her WR.