New Zealand swimming Erika Fairweather has won her maiden swimming world championship title with victory in the women’s 400m freestyle final in Doha.

The 20-year-old is the first New Zealander to win a long course swimming world championship title.

In a field without world record holder Ariarne Titmus and past holders Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh, Fairweather was the favourite and lived up to it, leading from the start in a personal best of 3:59.44. The bronze medalist from last year finished more than two seconds ahead of China’s Li Bingjie in second. Germany’s Isabel Gose was third, 2.95 seconds back.

Fellow Kiwi Eve Thomas finished seventh.

The victory puts Fairweather in top form ahead of the Paris Olympics where rivals Titmus, Ledecky and McIntosh will all be competing after skipping the worlds.