Marrit Steenbergen won back-to-back titles in the 100m freestyle, outracing multi-Olympic champions Mollie O’Callaghan and Torri Huske, at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Friday, 1 August.
The 25-year-old swimmer took the lead at the 75 meters and held on until touching the wall in a time of 52.55 to bring the Netherlands their first gold medal of the meet.
“The race felt really good. My first 50 was, I think, was the best 50 I did here,” Steenbergen told the media after the race. “To bring it home, it feels so good.”
“The first time it’s like you don’t have that much pressure and the second time, people expect more of you because you’re the reigning world champion, but I feel like with the Olympics in between that eased down a bit. I’m really happy to do it twice,” Steenbergen, who missed out on medals at Paris 2024, continued.
Mollie O’Callaghan, who won the world title in the event in 2023 and has already won three gold medals at Singapore 2025, was 0.12 seconds off Steenbergen’s pace, to take silver.
Fatigue had built for the Australian swimmer as the week went along – the 100m free was her fourth event at these Worlds and she is expected to take part in more relays over the last two days.
“Tired, very tired,” O’Callaghan said. “I’d be a superhuman if I said there wasn’t (fatigue). I’ve had the heaviest programme in the Australian team
“I’ve got another few relays, which is exciting. It’s nice to finish off with relays and hopefully I can pick myself up again, get a flush, warm down and get going again.”
Torri Huske, who has been battling an outbreak of ‘acute gastroenteritis’ in Singapore along with several of her USA teammates, swam in her first final of the meet. She led at the 50m mark and went back-and-forth with Steenbergen until falling back in third place, touching the wall in 52.89.
“It was definitely a rocky start and I never had such a roller coaster of a meet,” Huske said. “But I’m really proud of that swim and not just that swim, but my prelims and semis and that I was able to get back to normal so I’m really proud of that.”