Pallister claims silver in 'race of the century' as McEvoy and McKeown become world champions

Australia's Olympic stars have delivered at the swimming world championships in Singapore, with gold medals to freestyle sprinter Cameron McEvoy and backstroke superstar Kaylee McKeown. 

Alexandria Perkins and Lani Pallister claimed silver.

Pallister won silver in a thrilling final of the women's 800m freestyle in a race that has already been described by swimming pundits as the "race of the century".

The gold was won by US superstar Katie Ledecky by just 0.36 seconds with Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh 1.31 seconds behind Pallister.

Ledecky's time of 8:05.62 is the fourth fastest time in history, while Pallister now slots in at sixth.

The three women swam in a virtual straight line through the gripping final, with less than a second separating the trio at every change.

The crowd was deafening, realising that they were witnessing one of the great distance swimming races in history.

Ledecky kicked in the final 50m, but Pallister stuck doggedly to her way as McIntosh dropped marginally back.

The American's gold is her 23rd world championship and her seventh in the 800m alone, 12 years after she won her first.

Pallister dropped an astonishing five seconds from her personal best and 10 seconds this year.

"Coming home with a silver behind the greatest distance swimmer of all time [Ledecky] is wicked," Pallister said.

"Turning with them was so surreal.

"I didn't really feel I was in it — I feel like I was watching them two go about their business and I was like on the side going, oh, who's going to win?"

Ledecky said it was not the first time she had been involved in a "race of the century".

"It was really fun to be part of it," Ledecky said.

"Yeah I mean, I think I've been a part of a race of the century maybe six times in the last decade.

"It's up to you guys to say what is the race of the century."

Pallister said she had been inspired by Ledecky at the start of her career.

"To be at the point where it's this exciting and it can be that close for an 800 I think is just incredible for the sport," Pallister said.

Ledecky paid tribute to Pallister and her improvement over the past year.

"I think just moving forward it's going to be an amazing few years. I can't wait to see what she can do, can't wait to see what Ariarne [Titmus] can do," Ledecky said.

"I think there's just a high level of respect we have for each other."

McIntosh, who had hoped to win five individual gold medals at these world championships, was bitterly disappointed at coming third.

"I hate losing more than I like winning and I think that's a mentality that I've carried with myself throughout my entire career," she said.

"The feeling right now is something that I never want to feel again."

McEvoy glimmers in gold again

McEvoy reacted fastest and extended his lead throughout to win the men's 50m freestyle final — the same event he won at the Paris Olympics.

McEvoy's time of 21.14 was the fastest this year, beating the 21.30 he recorded in the semifinals and the Australian swimming trials.

His win caps off a momentous few weeks, after his wife Maddi gave birth to a baby boy, Hartley, last month.

McEvoy has spoken openly about his quest for the perfect 50m, as he seeks to break the world record of 20.91 set by Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho in 2009, during the super suit era.

"That's my third quickest time ever, for the prep, exceptional, I'm super happy with that," McEvoy said.

He was visibly delighted at his win, punching the water in joy after he finished.

He said he was looking forward to some time out of the pool and with his wife and newborn.

"I'm going straight to the newborn trenches," he said.

"I'll start to do the night routines, learn about Hartley more, help Maddi do what she has to do and enjoy the bubble — not rush it."

Fresh from qualifying for the final of the men's 50m backstroke final, Australian Isaac Cooper paid tribute to McEvoy.

"I've never idolised anybody on the team and I've never said it to his face either, but if there was one person I was going to, it would be Cam," Cooper said.

"He's consistently proven that he's the greatest sprint freestyler probably ever and has consistently been on or around world record times. It's quite unbelievable."

Minutes after McEvoy's win, McKeown delivered a superb come-from-behind swim to defeat her US rival Regan Smith in the 100m backstroke with a championship record time of 2:03.33.

McKeown has now claimed the 100m-200m double, repeating her efforts of the past two Olympics.

Smith was 0.03 seconds ahead of McKeown at the 150m mark, but the Australian was brilliant in the final 50m to win by just under a second.

After she finished, she looked visibly spent from her exertions as she gasped for air on the lane rope and at one point looked nauseous.

"I really wasn't feeling too great heading in you know," she said.

"Bit of illness and stuff going around, dealing with a bit of a shoulder, so I just think I had to put my best foot forward tonight and I dug really deep.

"I'm really happy with the time that I posted."

McKeown and Smith almost invariably swim next to each other in lanes four and five but tonight was a rare exception with Smith in two, and McKeown in six.

McKeown said the four lane gap between the rivals worked in her favour.

"Something that my coach and I have really been working on is focusing on my own race and I think it really helps being on the outside lane, not seeing the other girls around me and just really focusing on what I've been working on," McKeown said.

Australia's Alexandria Perkins set a personal best time to win silver in the women's 50m butterfly, which was won by American Gretchen Walsh. Walsh won in 24.83 seconds, almost half a second ahead of Perkins.

Another Australian, Lily Price, came sixth.

America is on top of the swimming medal table with eight golds and 26 medals overall.

Australia is in second with seven golds, four silvers and six bronze medals.