Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh continues to dominate the sport, adding another world record to her already impressive resume. The 18-year-old, already a three-time Olympic gold medalist, clocked a remarkable 4 minutes 23.65 seconds in the 400m individual medley at the Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria on Wednesday. This performance serves as a powerful statement leading up to the upcoming World Championships in Singapore.
McIntosh’s time shattered her own previous world record of 4:24.38, which she set last year at the Canadian Olympic trials. From the start, she was on pace, completing the butterfly leg at a record-setting speed. While her lead narrowed slightly after the breaststroke, McIntosh finished strong with an incredible freestyle leg, securing the new world record.
“I knew I could do something really special tonight because this has probably been the best meet of my career,” McIntosh shared in a post-race interview. Her ambition extends beyond just breaking records. “World records are made to be broken,” she added, expressing her desire to push the limits of the sport and inspire future generations of swimmers. She aims to set a high benchmark for others to strive for, pushing them to chase their own dreams.
This week in British Columbia has been a whirlwind of record-breaking performances for McIntosh. Prior to the 400m medley, she shattered the women’s 400m freestyle record on Saturday, surpassing Ariarne Titmus’s previous best. She followed that with the third-fastest 800m freestyle time in history on Sunday and then, on Monday, obliterated Katinka Hosszu’s decade-old world record in the 200m medley.
Having already secured gold medals in the 200m butterfly, 200m medley, and 400m medley at the Paris Olympics last year, McIntosh now sets her sights on adding to her four World Championship gold medals at next month’s competition.