by World Aquatic Championships: Summer McIntosh, 15, wins gold & Great Britain take relay bronze
Great Britain’s men won bronze in the 4x100m individual medley while 15-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh won her second gold on the final day of the World Aquatics Championships.
It was GB’s fifth medal in Budapest, with Italy beating the US by 0.28 seconds in a thrilling fight for gold.
McIntosh won the 400m medley in four minutes 32.04secs, holding off 16-year-old American Katie Grimes.
She also won 200m butterfly gold on Wednesday.
“It’s really cool to race someone like Katie as she is around my age and she’s a really tough competitor,” said McIntosh. “So I’m looking forward to racing her and keep pushing myself.”
Tom Dean anchored GB’s relay team to clinch his third bronze of the week, alongside Luke Greenbank, who had won individual 200m backstroke silver, James Wilby and James Guy.
Dean finished third in the individual 200m freestyle on Monday and was part of the 4x200m freestyle relay squad who also took bronze.
“It’s my first time with these boys in the medley relay, I’ve never done a medley before so it’s really special to be a part of it,” he said.
Elsewhere, American Hunter Armstrong was awarded the world title following his training partner Justin Ress being disqualified after finishing first in the men’s 50m backstroke final.
“It’s really tough,” Armstrong, 21, said. “On the one hand I’m really happy we did it together but I wanted to share the podium together.”
Ress touched the wall 0.02 seconds ahead of world record holder Armstrong but a video review disqualified the 24-year-old for finishing the race with his entire body submerged in the water.
“I’m very disappointed my team-mate was disqualified and hopefully Team USA’s protest will be successful,” said a tearful Armstrong after the podium ceremony.
Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri registered the second fastest time in men’s 1500m freestyle history to win his third gold in the event.
The 27-year-old, who only qualified seventh fastest, was on world record pace for a period of the race before fading to finish in 14:32.80 – 1.78sec shy of Chinese swimmer Sun Yang’s mark.
Swede Sarah Sjostrom beat Katarzyna Wasick and Meg Harris in the 50m freestyle to win a 19th individual medal at the world championships and 20th overall.
Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won her first world gold since 2013 when she beat Italian 17-year-old Benedetta Pilato by 0.10sec in the women’s 50m breaststroke final.
Meilutyte – who won Olympic gold as a 15-year-old at London 2012 – had not won a major championship medal since 2015.
GB’s Dan Jervis finished seventh in the men’s 1500m freestyle, with Anna Hopkin also seventh in the women’s 50m freestyle on Saturday.