The Commonwealth Games champion joins Erika Fairweather as the only Kiwis to win world titles in the history of the event. Fairweather did so last Monday, before picking up two further podiums in Doha.
Clareburt won today’s final in a time of 4min 09.72sec, 00.68sec ahead of Max Litchfield of Great Britain. Japan’s Daiya Seto was third.
Clareburt’s time was a second slower than his personal best, which he set when he won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago.
Two-time defending champion and world record holder Leon Marchand was not at the event and will be the heavy favourite racing at home at the Paris Olympics.
Despite Marchand skipping the event it was still a strong field today, with Seto and American Carson Foster, who finished fourth, making the podium at last year’s event.
