Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh made history on Tuesday at the Canadian Swimming Trials in Toronto by breaking the women’s 400m freestyle world record. The 16-year-old swimmer clocked in at 3:56.08, shaving off 0.32 seconds from the previous record of 3:56.40 held by Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus. McIntosh’s record-breaking performance at the trials qualifies her to compete at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July.
McIntosh’s win is remarkable, as she is only the fourth-fastest performer ever in the event. Before the Canadian trials, the teenager was ranked behind Titmus, American swimmer Katie Ledecky, and Italian Federica Pellegrini. However, McIntosh’s recent performance puts her in a great position to compete with these legends of the sport at the world championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
McIntosh’s record-breaking swim marks the first long-course world record by a Canadian swimmer since Kylie Masse set the 100m backstroke record in 2017. The teenager’s win comes after she won silver in the 400m freestyle at the 2022 World Championships and gold in the 200m butterfly and 400m medley.
McIntosh’s success at the trials is a testament to her dedication to the sport. Speaking after her win, McIntosh said, “Over the past few years, I’ve put my life into this, to be the best I can be. To achieve something like this, it was very unexpected. It was never in my dreams to do this tonight or even a few years ago. This just blows my mind.” McIntosh’s head coach, Brent Arckey, praised the swimmer, calling her “one of the best racers I’ve ever seen.”
McIntosh’s win sets up an exciting showdown with Titmus and Ledecky, two of the greatest swimmers in history. The Canadian trials will determine the swimmers who will compete at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and McIntosh’s record-breaking swim puts her in an excellent position to represent Canada at the world stage.
