A splash in gold

Singapore: The gold medals were spread around on Friday at the swimming world championships, thanks to the absence of stars Léon Marchand of France and Canadian Summer McIntosh from any finals on Day 6 in Singapore.

Marchand, who has already broken the world record in the 200 IM, will try to break his own 400 IM record on Sunday, the final day.

McIntosh has won three individual gold medals already and will chase two more on Saturday and Sunday as she tries for five individual golds. Only Michael Phelps has managed that at the worlds.

The biggest race of the championships might be Saturday’s 800-meter freestyle with McIntosh and American Katie Ledecky – the world-record holder – the favourites.

The Netherlands, China, Hungary and the United States picked up individual golds Friday as the meet continues to spread them around. Britain also won its first gold and first medal in Singapore, taking the men’s 4x200 relay.

Through six days the United States and Australia top the gold-medal table with five each. The Americans have won 20 overall to 13 for Australia.

Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands powered through the last 50 meters to win the women’s 100-metre freestyle. Steenbergen won in 52.55 seconds, with silver for Mollie O’Callaghan (52.67) of Australia and bronze to Torri Huske (52.89) of the United States.

China’s Qin Haiyang, who holds the world record, won the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:07.41 with second for Ippei Watanabe (2:07.70) of Japan and bronze to Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands (2:07.73). Haiyang also won the 100 breaststroke in Singapore.

American Kate Douglass got the US its fifth individual gold in these championships, taking the 200 breaststroke in 2:18.50, the second fastest in history. Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi has won a bronze medal, an astounding feat for a girl who would be a sixth-or seventh-grade student subject to the school system.