Singapore: Summer McIntosh slumped over a barricade separating her and the world’s media, head down and visibly frustrated.

The teen phenomenon had just claimed bronze in the women’s 800m freestyle final at the world championships and couldn’t hide her emotions.

“The feeling right now is something I never want to feel again,” McIntosh said. “This is how I felt in Fukuoka 2023 after the 400 free and at the Paris Olympics when I got silver in the 400 free. Moments like this are what I think about in training when I’m dying in a hard set.

“I hate losing more than I like winning.”

McIntosh finished 1.36 seconds adrift of American great Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female Olympian in history, in a race the New York Times had declared in a headline ‘The Race of the Century’.

Ledecky joked afterwards that she has been part of “about six” races of the centuries in the past decade.

800m freestyle gold medallist Katie Ledecky of the United States, centre, flanked by silver medallist Lani Pallister of Australia, left, and bronze medallist Summer McIntosh of Canada, right.

But for the third consecutive year, McIntosh was upstaged by an Australian swimmer from Dean Boxall’s camp.

With Ariarne Titmus taking a break from competition, having inflicted crushing 400m freestyle defeats on McIntosh at the 2023 world championships and 2024 Olympics, Boxall’s new project is Lani Pallister, who delivered an astonishing performance on the penultimate night of competition in Singapore.

It was the closest 800m race in history, from start to finish, with no swimmer gaining a clear lead at any stage. At the 400-metre mark, 0.18 seconds separated the trio.

The 23-year-old’s silver medal, wedged in between the greatest of all-time and a candidate to take that title one day, was arguably the greatest second place in Australia’s world championship history.

Until February, when McIntosh pinched a rare victory, Ledecky had not lost an 800m freestyle final for 13 years. She has won the past four Olympic gold medals in the event and is hoping to make it five in a row at a home Olympics in Los Angeles.

There was not a single mention of Pallister in the New York Times article, which pitted this as a Saturday night showdown between Ledecky and McIntosh.

Pallister made sure they knew her name by the end after dropping a five-second personal best.

The Australian was just 0.36 seconds from beating Ledecky and 1.31 seconds clear of McIntosh, after being behind the Canadian at the last turn.

It was such an unexpected and devastating result for McIntosh that she wondered aloud whether she would even take on the 800m event in LA, given her heavy program.

Canadian star Summer McIntosh.

Going into last month’s Australian trials, having made the switch to Boxall’s squad earlier in the year, Pallister’s personal best was 8:15.11. She has now shaved 10 seconds off that, getting her lifetime best down to 8:05.98.

In the past 10 years, Ledecky has lowered her world record by 3.27 seconds to 8:04.12.

“I didn’t really feel like I was in it,” Pallister said. “I was kind of just watching them to go about their business and I was kind of just on the side thinking, ‘Oh, who’s going to win?’”

Boxall made global headlines four years ago with his viral celebration after Titmus downed Ledecky at the Tokyo Olympics in the 400m freestyle.

The women’s 800m freestyle now has a similar feel about it after Pallister laid down a marker and shocked the swimming world.

Minutes after the epic final, World Aquatics called a press conference with Ledecky and Pallister.

McIntosh was not there, while Ledecky’s parents managed to find a seat up the back.

Pallister sat next to Ledecky, who she has a great relationship with. At the table, Pallister glanced down at a printout of their splits.

Katie Ledecky (left) and Lani Pallister embrace.

It looked like she could not believe what she was reading.

Ledecky was asked about the Boxall factor – her long-time rival coach who once admitted to “stalking” her at a meet “in a good way”, to study her habits.

“What Lani has done this year has been incredible,” Ledecky said. “It definitely keeps you on your toes. It’s going to be an amazing few years. Can’t wait to see what she can do and can’t wait to see what Ariarne can do. You guys are probably going to be training together, so that’s pretty cool.”

Not quite yet. Titmus is one of Australia’s all-time greats but the only thing missing on her swimming CV is an Olympic gold medal in the 800m.

Australia’s Ariarne Titmus poses with her 800m freestyle silver medal at Paris 2024.

She has two Olympic silver medals, in Tokyo and Paris, and was just 1.25 seconds behind Ledecky last year.

Titmus has been commentating for Channel 9 and will return to the pool at some stage.

Boxall, always the showman, took his chance to stir the pot. He agreed to a rare television interview ahead of Pallister’s 1500m final on Tuesday evening, with Titmus sitting on a panel back in the studio.

We now know why.

“I want to talk to Arnie,” Boxall said, staring down the barrel of the camera. “How was it watching? I just want to know. You’re commentating and I haven’t heard much. How’s it been watching for the first time? You’re not here at the world championships. [That is the] question for you. You can answer it on TV.”

Titmus laughed. “Of course he was going to throw me under the bus like that,” she said. “Dean, it does feel a bit strange to be here, but I’m enjoying it.”

When Titmus returns, and all four line up again, then it might truly be the race of the century.