Food Poisoning, Thailand-Cambodia conflict: What challenges U.S. swimmers faced before their appearance at World Aquatics Championships

The World Aquatics Championships 2025 will be in full flow in Singapore. Several top swimmers, such as Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and Bobby Finke, will headline the US entourage in this competition.

However, before the start of their campaign, the star-studded US team might reportedly face several hurdles. Notably, the US team scheduled a 10-day training session in Phuket (Thanyapura Phuket resort), Thailand, before the start of the competition.

However, their time in Thailand came amid the tensions between Cambodia and Thailand due to the disputed border areas between their regions. Additionally, several US swimmers, who were in Thailand for the training window, also faced food poisoning. Two-time Olympian Torri Huske is one of the top names suspected to have suffered from this illness.

Owing to this, a bit of a delay was also caused in their initial plans to travel for the Championships to Singapore on Tuesday (July 22). However, with a couple of days left before the swimming campaign, the entire team is reported to have reached Singapore as they gear up for one of the biggest swimming competitions of the season.

Notably, the US team ended the 2023 World Aquatics Championships with 44 medals but clinched just seven gold laurels, which was way less than China and Australia, who ended their campaigns with 20 and 15 gold medals.

World Aquatics Championships 2025: Top US Swimmers featuring in the competition

Regan Smith will be one of the top swimmers alongside Katie Ledecky in the event (Image via: Getty)

One of the most prominent names who will feature at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 will be Katie Ledecky. She is coming at the back of an impressive performance at the US Nationals at the TYR Pro Swim Series and will be eying a successful campaign in her three events.

Torr Huske, another name among the top swimmers in the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, is scheduled to compete in three events: 50m free, 100m free, and 100m butterfly. Regan Smith, Gretchen Walsh, Kate Douglass, and Lily King will also try to bring the US gold laurels in the event.

In the men's roster, Bobby Finke has been in good form since last year or so and has clinched several gold medals in the US Nationals and TYR Pro Swim Series. He will be seen in the 800m free and 1500m free.