Mollie O’Callaghan has become the first woman in history to clinch the freestyle double at a world championships by pinching gold in the women’s 100m freestyle final in Fukuoka, Japan.
Swimming in the fifth lane, O’Callaghan kicked in the final 20m to edge ahead of Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey in a time of 52.16.
O’Callaghan found herself in seventh place at the turn before unleashing a lightning-fast second split of 26.41 to snatch gold.
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The victory saw the teen sensation conquer reigning Olympic champion and fellow Australian Emma McKeon, who was third at the halfway mark but faded to finish fifth in a time of 52:83.
Haughey (52.49) swam to Hong Kong’s first medal of the meet ahead of the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen (52.71) in third.
The victory marks four gold medals from four events for O’Callaghan after the 19-year-old topped the field and set a world record in the women’s 200m freestyle on Wednesday night, to go with her other two successful relay swims.
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This is the second-biggest gold rush by an Australian female with Libby Trickett collecting five golds medals at the 2007 world championships.
O’Callaghan could be selected in two more relays – the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay on Saturday and the 4x100m medley relay on Sunday.
Ian Thorpe is the only Australian to achieve six gold medals at the same world championships.
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