SINGAPORE: Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky set up a showdown for the ages at swimming’s world championships in Singapore when both stars cruised into the 800m freestyle final on Friday.
American great Ledecky, 28, is the undisputed master in the event, having won the title at the last four Olympics and updating her own world record in May this year.
But McIntosh, 10 years Ledecky’s junior, is in the mood to snatch her crown as she looks to join Michael Phelps as the only swimmer to win five individual titles at a single world championships.
The 18-year-old Canadian has already bagged three golds from three events in Singapore and she clocked the third-fastest 800m freestyle time ever in June.
The other nine times on the top 10 all belong to Ledecky but McIntosh’s form suggests a changing of the guard could be on the cards.
Ledecky fired the first shots in Friday morning’s heats, qualifying for Saturday’s final fastest in a time of 8min 14.62sec, with McIntosh third in 8:19.88.
McIntosh said she felt in good shape after winning 200m butterfly gold the previous night, and she had the rest of the day and the following morning to recover before the final.
“I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to this morning,” McIntosh said after her heat.
“I’ve been recovering really well, probably the best I ever have in a big meet like this.
“We’re on day six so to feel like this is really promising.”
Ledecky made her international breakthrough in the 800m free, winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 15.
She went on to dominate the event for more than a decade and showed that she still had plenty to offer in June when she smashed her own world record, which had stood since 2016.
McIntosh also headed to Singapore in red-hot form, breaking three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in June.
McIntosh and Ledecky have already had their first head-to-head in Singapore, with McIntosh coming out on top to win gold in the 400m free.
The Canadian is a relative newcomer to the 800m free but she safely negotiated the heats with the minimum of fuss.
“My goal was just to win my heat to pretty much secure that I’ll get a lane for tomorrow night’s final and do that with the least amount of energy possible,” she said.
“I’m just trying to get through it because I’ve never really done 800 heats before so I don’t know what to expect.
“I’m just glad it’s over and done with now.”
Australia’s Lani Pallister and Italy’s Simona Quadarella will also hope to stand on the podium after Saturday’s race but all eyes will be on Ledecky and McIntosh in the battle for gold.
“Having all those girls around me will definitely push me to a really good time and I’m really excited to race Katie tomorrow night,” said McIntosh.
McIntosh, Ledecky set up 800m world title showdown
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McIntosh, Ledecky set up 800m world title showdown
- Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky set up a showdown for the ages at swimming’s world championships in Singapore when both stars cruised into the 800m freestyle final on Friday
France qualify for 2026 World Cup; Ronaldo sent off as Portugal lose to Ireland
- Two goals from star striker Mbappe helped two-time champions France to qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine on Thursday
- Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal play Armenia
- Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo
LONDON: Kylian Mbappe and France are going to the 2026 World Cup. And Cristiano Ronaldo might be banned from Portugal’s first game there if his team finally win their European qualifying group.
Two goals from star striker Mbappe helped two-time champion France to qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine on Thursday. But Ronaldo was ejected for the first time in his international career and Portugal will have to wait until Sunday to secure a qualifying spot for the seventh straight time after it was stunned 2-0 by Ireland in Dublin.
Midfielder Michael Olize and substitute forward Hugo Ekitike added the other goals in a dominant second half from France, the World Cup runner-up in 2022.
Mbappe sent the penalty straight down the middle to break the deadlock in the 55th minute before Olize turned inside the penalty area to curl home the second goal in the 76th at Parc des Princes in western Paris. Mbappé poked in France’s third goal from close range in the 83rd following a goal-mouth scramble. Mbappe moved onto 55 goals and just two behind Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer.
“The French national team will always be better with him in it,” coach Didier Deschamps said about Mbappé. “He makes things easier for us. He performed his role perfectly this evening, as both a player and the captain of the national team.”
Mbappe went close to a hat trick moments later but blazed over after going clean through.
France have won Group D with 13 points, Ukraine and Iceland are tied on seven points and will play for second place when they meet on Sunday.
Ronaldo’s 1st international red card
Portugal will host last-place Armenia in the final qualifying game on Sunday, when Hungary host Ireland at the same time.
Portugal top Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland are third with seven points.
Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea on the hour. The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said he thought the ejection was “a bit harsh,” pointing out that Ronaldo “has never been sent off before in 226 games.”
Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal play Armenia. FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play.”
Troy Parrott put the hosts ahead with a close-range header following a corner kick in the 17th minute against the run of play with Portugal dominant. Parrott added his second in the final minute before the break, beating Diogo Costa with a low shot from inside the area.
Haaland’s double
Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo.
The win virtually secures a spot for the high-scoring Norwegians in next year’s tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Italy had to rely on late goals from Gianluca Mancini and substitute Francesco Pio Esposito to win 2-0 at Moldova and is second in Group I, trailing leader Norway by three points.
Italy will likely have to settle for the playoffs where the four-time World Cup champions were eliminated in the past two editions. They host Norway on Sunday and would have to win by a nine-goal margin to directly qualify because of Norway’s vastly superior goal difference.
Haaland has scored 14 of Norway’s European-best 33 goals in seven group-stage games. The Manchester City striker was born two years after Norway last reached the World Cup.
Still perfect England
Already-qualified England continued to cruise.
They beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to keep a perfect record in Group K and are yet to concede a goal.
Bukayo Saka fired England ahead on a rebound with a left-foot volley in the 28th after an initial shot by Nico O’Reilly was blocked. Substitute forward Eberechi Eze added the second in the 90th off a pass from another substitute, Phil Foden.
Albania beat Andorra 1-0 in the same group to secure the runner-up spot.
