It was a day of speed, adrenaline, and unexpected turns in Singapore as the final leg of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup unraveled. But the two swimmers that had, perhaps, the most exciting rivalry have to be Noe Ponti and Leon Marchand. Noe’s latest win? Well, Noe went on to break the 50m butterfly world record, clocking 21.50. While a world record is huge, it turns out Noe was tired while swimming.

As Noe himself puts it, “I saw the other guys were swimming very fast, so I think it’s a fast pool. And I wasn’t really expecting to swim a world record because I started to feel tired and everything. But I think I did a perfect race, so there isn’t much to say.” The morning prelims, of course, had the entire world on its feet. But the final was a different story.

Tiresome swim costs Noe Ponti an overall win!

While Noe did win gold in the finals, he couldn’t match his morning pace. He ended the race, clocking 21.64. But that wasn’t the sole cause of the jaw-drops in Singapore! Noe’s 2024 season has been a volatile back-and-forth against Leon Marchand. While the world record and the win gave Noe Ponti points, did it match up to Marchand’s points? Unfortunately no! When the overall men’s World Cup rankings came out, as many expected, Marchand was right on top. This was a complete change from how the charts stood in Incheon.

However, when the World Cup leg in Incheon ended, Noe was on top of the charts with a total of 58.2 points. Meanwhile, Leon Marchand was at 58.1 points. Now, as the Singapore leg comes to an end, Marchand, with 175.7 points, is the winner of the 2024 World Cup. But Noe Ponti wasn’t all that behind. He had a score of 171.9 points. The 200m individual medley world record that Marchand had just made yesterday, clocking 1:48.88, might have just given him some advantage with the score. While the rivalry has ended rather, unfortunately for Noe, this battle was not lost in the pool.

Ponti, after his races, went on to talk about how performing doesn’t just take a toll physically. But also mentally. In Ponti’s own words, “It’s never easy to reset something after such a race, because there is so much adrenaline, you’re so awake, you have so much energy, that it’s hard also to go to the hotel, take a nap and reset and everything.” The schedule of the World Championships has been anything but kind. It was perhaps this schedule that landed Ponti in a tie.

During the 100m individual medley in the pools of Incheon, Ponti and Marchand had a tie. They both clocked 51.00 and tied for gold. It was, perhaps, the hectic schedule that did not let either of them truly be on top. Even his nemesis, Marchand, spoke about the same before the Singapore leg began. Marchand even went on to say, “I mean, this afternoon was a little hard for me because I was very tired from this whole week of jet lag, travel, and all that stuff.” But despite it all, both Noe Ponti and Leon Marchand did give the Worlds their best. However, for Noe Ponti, the goal was one thing alone!

As Ponti himself puts it, “Tonight was important to win the race and bring on the crown, and that’s it.” So, how many of these crowns did Ponti win?

Two triple crowns, despite losing goggles!

Before the Singapore leg began, Noe Ponti was looking at two possible crowns in the 100m and 50m butterfly. A triple crown is awarded to an athlete who wins on all legs in the same race. Additionally, for each crown, the athlete will also be given $10,000. By the end of the meet, Ponti had done just that! He, of course, won the 50m fly, so what about the 100m fly?

The 100m butterfly was just as exciting as the 50m finals. In fact, his 100m fly came with a challenge and the most unexpected twist. When Noe got into the pool, he found himself amid a mishap. Water had seeped into his goggles, making it hard to see underwater. But Noe dealt with it almost too beautifully! “I lost my goggles at the start, and I was like, ‘OK, I guess I’m going to have to swim without goggles,’” said Noe Ponti. To make it worse, the contacts he wore also shifted.

This made his vision even more blurry. Ponti, however, did not back down. Actually, far from it. He went on to clock 48.81 and win gold. That win also meant another triple crown for Noe Ponti. While Ponti might have missed the overall win, he has written an unforgettable story this season. All eyes are on Noe Ponti for the 2025 season!