Canadian swimming phenom Summer McIntosh, just 18 years old, heads into the upcoming World Championships in Singapore riding the wave of a historic week at the Canadian trials in Victoria. In a feat unmatched since Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, McIntosh smashed three individual long-course world records in a single meet — across the 400m freestyle, 200m individual medley, and 400m individual medley.
A Hat-Trick for the Ages
- 400m freestyle (3:54.18): McIntosh toppled Ariarne Titmus’s record set in 2023.
- 200m individual medley (2:05.70): She edged past Katinka Hosszu’s 2015 record in a commanding performance
- 400m individual medley (4:23.65): Topped her own Olympic-trials mark, continuing her record-setting momentum .
Additionally, she posted the second-fastest 200m butterfly time ever (2:02.26) and nearly broke Katie Ledecky’s 800m freestyle world record, all while setting five Canadian records.
Poised for Even More
Asked about her form, McIntosh expressed excitement for Singapore, saying:
“I can go over with my coach … use this as motivation … keep pushing and moving forward”.
She has been training since January under coach Fred Vergnoux in Antibes, France, crediting him for elevating her to this elite level. Later this year, she plans to relocate to Austin to train under Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’s legendary coach.
On Track for a Phelps-Style Week
McIntosh is Canada’s top entrant to the 28-strong team for Singapore. She is expected to compete in five individual events, with the potential to match Phelps’s five gold-medal feat from the 2007 World Championships.
Family Legacy and Olympic Pedigree
A former 14-year-old Olympian at Tokyo in 2021, McIntosh hails from an athletic family—her mother swam in the 1984 Olympics, and her sister was a national-level figure skater.
Why This Week Matters
- Unprecedented performance: First athlete since Phelps with three world records in a single meet.
- Peak readiness: Demonstrated dominance across diverse events—freestyle, medley, butterfly.
- Momentum builder: Serves as an ideal launching pad into the global stage next month. canada
Summer McIntosh capped a remarkable five days in Victoria with world-record performances in three events, narrowly missed a fourth, and is now set to headline Canada’s team in Singapore. Training under top coaches and already shattering records, she looks well-placed to take the global spotlight once again.
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