Summer McIntosh came within a whisker of breaking a long-standing world record and Leon Marchand failed to improve on a new mark he set just a night earlier, but both young guns won gold medals at the world championships in Singapore on Thursday.

French swimming sensation Léon Marchand set a world record on Wednesday as he powered into the final of the men's 200m individual medley at the world swimming championships in Singapore.

American star Ryan Lochte’s standard of 1:54.00 had stood since 2011 until the French sensation clocked 1:52.69 on Wednesday in Singapore.

Clarifying promised rules on female eligibility, track and field’s governing body set a September 1 deadline Wednesday for athletes to pass a gene test for competing at the world championships.

World Athletics, track and field's governing body, has set a Sept. 1 deadline for female athletes to pass a gene test for competing at the world championships in Tokyo.

Track and field athletes aiming to take part in the female category in elite competitions will have to take a gene test from September, World Athletics has announced. The test will be in place in time for the World Championships which take place in Tokyo on September 13-21.