The China Mail - Teenage kicks: McIntosh, 12-year-old Yu set to rule the pool at LA 2028

The United States also demonstrated that tales of their demise were exaggerated as teams embarked on the long road to the LA 2028 at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore over the past week.

Canada ended the world championships on Sunday with four gold medals, all won by the 18-year-old phenomenon McIntosh.

Yet it was the one that got away that rankled with the teenager, having been forced to settle for bronze in the 800m freestyle which American great Katie Ledecky won for a seventh time.

It meant that three-time Paris Olympics gold medallist McIntosh fell just short of matching Michael Phelps's feat of five individual titles at a single world championships.

"I think it's just going to keep me hungry and push, and keep moving forward," said McIntosh.

"Even if I were to get five golds, I would still want more. That's just my mentality."

McIntosh broke three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in June and then powered to gold in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly in Singapore.

Chinese schoolgirl Yu became the youngest medallist in world championships history, taking home a relay bronze.

Racing against McIntosh, Yu narrowly missed out on an individual medal by finishing fourth in each of her events -- the 400m medley, 200m butterfly and 200m medley where she touched just 0.06 seconds from a bronze medal.

Already her rivals are predicting Yu will be a major force at the 2028 Olympics.

Canada's Mary-Sophie Harvey, who held off Yu for bronze in the 200m medley, said: "I think going into LA we're probably going to see her a lot more."

American Alex Walsh, who took silver, said Yu was "phenomenally talented at such a young age".

But there are also concerns about the physical and mental toll on someone so young.

"Now she's gonna have a lot of pressure," said Harvey.

- USA bite back -

The United States, who will be under huge pressure to deliver in the pool at their home Games, endured a turbulent time in Singapore.

Most of the squad had to battle acute gastroenteritis following a pre-competition camp in Thailand.

That led to stinging criticism from Phelps and fellow Olympic swimming great Ryan Lochte, with wider concerns about the management of the team in and out of the pool.

Lochte shared an image on Instagram depicting a funeral that featured a tombstone inscribed: "In loving memory of United States Swimming."

"They set the bar high -- until they stopped reaching for it," the inscription said, with Lochte adding the caption: "Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years."

The slight did not go down well in Singapore, with three-time Olympic gold medallist Bobby Finke among the American swimmers biting back.

"There's just so much stupid stuff that's getting said," said Finke.

The United States set two relay world records in Singapore and topped the final medals table with nine golds, one ahead of Australia.

Third were France, with Leon Marchand blowing off the post-Paris Olympics cobwebs to smash Lochte's 200m individual medley world record from 2011.

The 23-year-old Marchand, the face of the Paris Games with four individual golds, also romped to victory in the 400m medley.

"It's not perfect, because it's never perfect, but it's more than I expected, especially the world record in the 200m medley," he said.

"It shows that I still have a passion for swimming, that I love it."

B.Chan--ThChM