US legend Katie Ledecky and Canadian star Summer McIntosh will lock horns in the women’s 400m freestyle final on the opening day of the swimming competition at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships on Sunday, 27 July.
Ledecky, a four-time world champion in the event, and reigning Olympic champion McIntosh will both be eyeing a new world record in Singapore’s World Championships Arena.
Also in action is reigning Olympic champion Lukas Märtens in the men’s 400m freestyle final, while McIntosh will be in the water for a fourth time for the 200 IM semi-finals.
Finally, expect fireworks in the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay finals.
In the morning’s heats, McIntosh eased to second place in both her qualifying heats, while the USA, featuring Simone Manuel and Kate Douglass, was the fastest women’s relay qualifier.
Also in action was 12-year-old prodigy Yu Zidi from the People’s Republic of China, who is making her debut at these world championships. And she did not disappoint, advancing to the 200m IM semi-finals in two minutes, 11.90 seconds.
The World Aquatics Championships — previously known as the FINA World Championships and often referred to as the World Swimming Championships — have been held since 1973. The Singapore edition marks the 22nd staging of the event.
Follow our live updates across the four finals.