Mollie O’Callaghan has stunned the swimming world by breaking the women’s short-course 200-metre freestyle world record, just days after Swimming Australia was forced to defend the Olympic champion from false news stories being spread about her on social media.

A former long-course 200m world record holder – the now retired Ariarne Titmus lowered that mark last year – O’Callaghan continued her stellar season with a blistering victory at a World Cup meet in a 25-metre pool in Westmont, Illinois, on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

The 21-year-old, the reigning Olympic and world champion in the long-course (50m pool) version of the event, became the first woman to break the one-minute 50-second barrier in a 25-metre pool, clocking 1:49.77. Her time sliced 0.54 seconds off Siobhan Haughey’s previous

See Full Page