World Para Swimming Championships Day 6: Mallory Weggemann Earns Historic 17th Gold; Chambers, Smith Win
Mallory Weggemann made history again with her performance at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.
During her sensational career, Weggemann has competed in 21 finals and secured a podium finish in every single one at the World Para level.
On Day 6, the Minnesota native captured her 17th world title, medaling for the 21st consecutive time.
In a thrilling finish in the women’s 50 freestyle S7, Weggemann closed out her 2025 meet with gold in 32.58, edging the field by just four hundredths of a second.
“This has been so fun,” said Weggemann. “I have raced 21 world championship races, and I have now won 21 world championship medals. It is so surreal to finish this competition with gold in the 50 free. I’ve said it all week, there is so much pride in getting to represent Team USA still, to do it with my family in the stands and still be on this journey. I thoroughly love this sport and it’s so fun to see all the incredible ways it keeps advancing.”
2025 world champions Olivia Chambers and Grace Nuhfer reunited in both the pool and on the podium to kick off the evening of finals. Chambers struck gold once again, completing a trio of world titles with her victory in the women’s 400m freestyle S13 – the same event that crowned her a Paralympic champion – finishing more than six seconds ahead of the field.
“My secret is to just have fun,” Chambers said. “I love that race, getting out there and seeing what I can do but not putting too much pressure on myself to win.”
“I didn’t know what to expect this year. It’s the year after the Games, so you never really know where everyone is going to be, and I just hoped that I could do my best.”
Nuhfer added her second bronze and third medal of the meet, securing the third-place finish alongside Chambers for the duo’s second shared podium in Singapore.
“I’m just really happy to be here,” Nuhfer said. “I didn’t expect to come here and win three medals. The staff and the team have been amazing. Coach Patrick and I have been working on my freestyle. We totally reconstructed it and put it back together. I’m grateful for him having patience with me and being able to see that payoff is really awesome.”
Two-time Paralympian Leanne Smith delivered another dominant performance winning back-to-back golds on consecutive nights. Smith stormed to victory in the women’s 200m freestyle S3, finishing nearly 30 seconds ahead of the field to secure her 12th career world title and a championship record time of 3:16.34. The commanding win brought her total medal count in Singapore to six heading into the last day of competition.
“I’m a little bit beat up at the moment,” Smith said. “We have one more race tomorrow to get through, so looking forward to that. I think if anything, this is giving us perspective for what L.A. might look like as far as weather conditions and how to manage that with how my body is tolerating it. I’m gathering information from here; it’s definitely helped and will help moving forward.”
World Para Day 6 Winners
- Women’s 400 Free S13: Olivia Chambers, USA
- Men’s 400 Free S13: Egor Shchitovskii
- Women’s Para 200 IM SM8: Brock Whiston, Great Britain
- Men’s 200 Para IM SM8: Callum Simpson, Australia
- Women’s 50 Backstroke S2: Yip Pin Xiu, Singapore
- Men’s 50 Backstroke S2: Gabriel Dos Santos Araujo, Brazil
- Men’s 50 Backstroke S1: Iyad Shalabi, Israil
- Women’s 50 Free S7: Mallory Weggemann, USA
- Men’s 50 Free S7: Andrii Trusov, Ukraine
- Women’s 100 Backstroke S11: Daria Lukianenko
- Men’s 100 Backstroke S11: Albert Gelis, Spain
- Women’s 200 Free S5: Monica Boggioni, Italy
- Men’s 200 Free S5: Artem Oliinyk, Ukraine
- Women’s 200 Free S3: Leanne Smith, USA
- Men’s Para 200 Fre S3: Gabriele Lorenzo, Italy
- Women’s 100 Backstroke S9: Mariana Ribeiro, Brazil
- Men’s 100 Backstroke S9: Yahor Shchalkanau
- Women’s 100 Free S10: Defne Kurt, Turkey
- Men’s 100 Free S10: Rowan Crothers, Australia
- Women’s 100 Breaststroke SB6: Liu Daomin, China
- Men’s 100 Breaststroke SB6: Nelson Crispin Corzo, Colombia
- Mixed 400 Medley Relay S14: Great Britain
- Mixed 400 Freestyle Relay: Spain
