Canadian swimming prodigy Summer McIntosh has once again made headlines by setting her second world record in as many days at the Canadian swimming trials.
On Monday, the 18-year-old sensation shattered the decade-old world record in the women’s 200m individual medley, finishing with an astonishing time of 2 minutes 5.70 seconds. This performance surpassed the previous mark of 2:06.12 set by Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu at the 2015 World Championships, making McIntosh the first woman ever to complete the event in under 2:06.
This achievement follows McIntosh’s earlier world record in the 400m freestyle, which she set on Saturday. The teenager also delivered a strong performance in Sunday’s 800m freestyle, recording the third-fastest time ever in that event — a distance not typically considered her specialty.
Speaking after her record-breaking swim, McIntosh expressed satisfaction with her performance:
“Overall, I’m really happy with that time and always just trying to keep pushing forward,” she said.
“The 200 IM is my main race out of my top five or six races where I really have to execute perfectly. There’s no room for mistakes and it’s kind of a sprint event for me, so I’m really happy with that. It gives me a lot of confidence heading into Singapore,” she added, referencing next month’s World Championships.
When asked how she prepared for Monday’s race after a demanding weekend schedule, McIntosh said she focused on recovery, rest, and nutrition.
“Just recovering, sleeping as much as possible and eating a lot. And also mentally calming myself down and taking it one race at a time. I’ve had a lot of practice at that these past few years,” she explained.
McIntosh’s record-breaking swim was built on flawless early splits in the butterfly and backstroke legs. An improved breaststroke segment — traditionally her weakest — kept her on pace, and she powered through the freestyle leg to obliterate Hosszu’s longstanding record.
Fellow Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey finished second with a time of 2:08.78, while Ashley McMillan claimed third place in 2:12.08.
The Canadian Trials continue to showcase McIntosh’s extraordinary talent as she prepares to compete on the world stage in Singapore.
