Australia Dominates Opening Day at World Aquatics Championships

The Australian swimming team had a remarkable start at the World Aquatics Championships, securing two gold medals and a silver on the opening day. The men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay teams both claimed gold, while Sam Short earned a silver medal in the men's 400-meter freestyle.

The women's 4x100m freestyle relay team dominated, winning gold ahead of the US and the Netherlands. This victory extended their winning streak in major championships, which began with a world record at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Australian men's team followed suit shortly after, achieving a stunning come-from-behind victory. Anchored by veteran Kyle Chalmers, they set a championship record of 3:08.07, surpassing Italy and the US.

Chalmers entered the race in third place after earlier legs by Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor, and Maximilliam Giuliani. He then delivered a powerful final leg in 46.53 seconds to secure the win. Southam mentioned the team's goal was to give Chalmers a chance, and they all performed exceptionally well. Giuliani described the result as "unbelievable."

In the women's relay, Mollie O'Callaghan established a lead, which was extended by Meg Harris and Milla Jansen. In the final leg, Olivia Wunsch held off Olympic relay gold medalist Torri Huske to claim first place, finishing in 3:30.6 seconds. O'Callaghan expressed her confidence in the team and their preparation for future competitions.

Earlier in the night, Sam Short narrowly missed a gold medal in the 400m freestyle, finishing just 0.02 seconds behind German world record holder Lukas Martens. Short's time was slightly slower than his morning's heat time. Despite this, he was pleased to be back on a world championship podium after his previous gold in 2023. He acknowledged the tough competition and expressed pride in his performance.

In the women's 400m freestyle final, Lani Pallister finished fourth behind world record holder Summer McIntosh. China's Bingjie Li took second, with US veteran Katie Ledecky in third. McIntosh's performance was a step towards her goal of winning five individual gold medals. Pallister's time was a personal best. Jamie Perkins, another Australian, finished sixth with a personal best time.