16-year-old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh has set a second world record in just five days, bringing Katinka Hosszu’s seven-year-old 400m individual medley record to 4:25.86. The new world record is almost half a second faster than Hosszu’s mark at the 2016 Olympic Games Rio, and nearly three seconds quicker than McIntosh’s own previous personal best world junior record. The Toronto swimmer previously broke the 400m freestyle world record, which means she has now set two new world records in just one week.
McIntosh’s impressive achievements have made her the first person to hold world records in both the 400 IM and 400 free (long-course meters), and the youngest individual world champion in swimming since Ye Shiwen in 2011. McIntosh began the race strongly and found herself ahead of the world-record split through the opening two legs, but fell behind Hosszu’s time on the breaststroke. A rapid 29.69 split on the last 50m of freestyle saw the Florida-based swimmer beat the mark.
In her remarks, McIntosh expressed her excitement at achieving her long-standing goal of breaking a world record in the 400 IM. She said, “I’ve been hoping to get a world record, especially in the 400 IM, since I was probably 11 years old. To now actually achieve it is something that kind of blows my mind.”
This latest achievement caps a fantastic Canadian Trials for McIntosh, who also lowered her own 200m individual medley and 200m butterfly world junior records during the meet. As the reigning world champion in the event, McIntosh is the runaway favourite to retain her title at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan later this year.
The young athlete is becoming increasingly versatile and may need to choose which events to focus on in the future. A heavyweight clash in the 400m free with Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky could be on the cards in Fukuoka, while McIntosh is also the defending world champion in the 200 fly.
Other swimmers who have clocked sub-4:32 times in the 400m individual medley include Hosszu, current Olympic champion Ohashi Yui of Japan, Mireia Belmonte of Spain, and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown. McIntosh’s new world record is subject to ratification by World Aquatics.
In summary, Summer McIntosh’s new world record in the 400m individual medley is a testament to her talent and hard work. Her impressive achievements make her a strong contender for the upcoming World Aquatics Championships, and fans are eager to see how she will continue to develop her skills in the future.
