A Star on the Rise: 18-Year-Old Phenom Summer McIntosh Rewrites the Book of Swimming Records
Young prodigy smashes third global milestone within a five-day span at 18 years old.
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Summer McIntosh, a 18-year-old prodigy, is shaking up the world of swimming like no other before her. In less than a month and a half before the peak of the season, she's redefining the standards. At the national championships, one world record after another is getting shattered.
Canada's darling of the swimming world, Summer McIntosh, has recently broken her third world record in just five days. She touched the wall in an astounding 4:23.65 minutes in the 400m individual medley on Wednesday at the national championships in Victoria, bettering her own 2021 record of 4:24.38 minutes. Previously, on Monday, McIntosh had decimated the world record in the 200m individual medley, and on Saturday, she did the same in the 400m freestyle.
"I knew I was capable of something extraordinary tonight because I've delivered the best race of my career so far," said the 18-year-old, who also came close to Katie Ledecky's 800m freestyle record on Sunday. "World records are meant to be broken. When I retire, I want to make sure this record is as blazingly fast as possible."
The competitions have boosted her confidence for the upcoming World Championships, scheduled for July 11 to August 3 in Singapore. McIntosh will step into the pool as the top favorite for several events.
Source: ntv.de, tno/sid/dpa
- World Championships
- Swimming
According to recent data, McIntosh's dominance extends beyond the 400m IM, 200m IM, and 400m freestyle. She has also come extremely close to the world record in the 200m butterfly, setting a new Canadian record and ranking second all-time in the event. Additionally, she nearly broke Katie Ledecky's 800m freestyle record, though she fell short but still delivered a remarkable performance.
As of June 2025, here's a rundown of McIntosh's world record events, times, and her outstanding performances at recent competitions:
Summer McIntosh's World Record Events & Times
| Event | World Record Time | Date Set/Updated | Notes ||----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|| 400m IM (Individual Medley) | 4:23.65 | June 12, 2025 | Shattered her previous world record (4:24.38)[2][1]. || 200m IM (Individual Medley) | 2:05.70 | June 10, 2025 | Established at Canadian Swimming Trials[1][4]. || 400m Freestyle | 3:54.18 | June 8, 2025 | Improved previous world mark by more than a second[1][5]. |
Notable Near-Record Performances
- 200m Butterfly: 2:02.26 (June 11, 2025)
- Only 0.45 seconds from the world record (2:01.81, Liu Zige, 2009)[3].
- This time set a new Canadian record and ranks second all-time in the event[3].
- 800m Freestyle:
- McIntosh was inches away from Katie Ledecky’s world record, set the previous month, but missed the mark[1].
In summary, Summer McIntosh currently holds world records in:
- 400m IM (4:23.65)
- 200m IM (2:05.70)
- 400m Freestyle (3:54.18)
Her factory-set speed and relentless pursuit of more records create history with every performance[1][2][3]. The swimming world is in awe of this young prodigy as she continues to challenge longstanding records and redefine what is possible in the pool.
Summer McIntosh's stellar performances have not only broken records in the 400m individual medley, 200m individual medley, and 400m freestyle but also nearly shattered the world record in the 200m butterfly.
With her focus set on the upcoming World Championships, McIntosh's reign in the swimming world extends beyond these records, as she currently holds world records in the 400m IM (4:23.65), 200m IM (2:05.70), and 400m freestyle (3:54.18).
